Dive into the intricate world of skull base neurosurgery with our latest post on the microsurgical anatomy of the olfactory filaments in the nasal mucosa, a cornerstone for understanding and advancing surgical precision in this critical area.
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Microsurgical anatomy of the olfactory filaments in the nasal mucosa.
Ilgaz et al., J Neurosurg 2024
<!– DOI: 10.3171/2024.1.JNS23920 //–>
https://doi.org/10.3171/2024.1.JNS23920
This study focuses on the distribution of olfactory filaments (OFs) in the nasal mucosa, aiming to enhance olfactory function preservation during endonasal surgeries and nasoseptal flap preparation. Utilizing one formalin-fixed and nine fresh cadaveric specimens injected with silicone, the research measured OF distances to anatomical landmarks and compared OF presence in the nasal septum mucosa (NSM) and ethmoidal mucosa (EM). Key findings include:
– The mean distance of OFs was 19.37 ± 2.16 mm in NSM and 23.44 ± 5.42 mm in EM.
– NSM contained an average of 7.55 ± 1.31 OFs, while EM had 14.3 ± 1.78.
– Average OF lengths were 6.44 ± 1.48 mm in NSM and 8.05 ± 1.76 mm in EM.
Significantly, the study revealed that the EM has more and longer OFs compared to the NSM. For surgical considerations, it suggests that the upper edge of the nasoseptal flap incision in the NSM should ideally start below 12 mm from the cribriform plate to protect OFs. This research contributes to the surgical field by providing detailed measurements that can guide safer endonasal procedures, potentially preserving olfactory function more effectively.