turbinate

Turbinates, also called nasal conchae, are long, curled bony shelves on the lateral walls of the nasal cavity. In the human nose there are three turbinates: the superior, middle, and inferior. The superior and middle turbinates are part of the ethmoid bone, while the inferior turbinate is a separate bone. Each turbinate is covered by vascularized mucosa and lies above a corresponding nasal meatus: the superior, middle, and inferior meatuses. The mucosa is typically pseudostratified ciliated columnar epithelium with goblet cells, supporting mucus production and ciliary clearance.

The turbinates function to increase the surface area of the nasal mucosa and to create turbulent airflow, which enhances the warming, humidifying, and filtering of inspired air. They also contribute to nasal resonance and play a role in olfaction. The area is highly vascularized, receiving blood supply from branches of the sphenopalatine, facial, and ethmoidal arteries, which supports heat exchange and mucus production.

Clinically, turbinate swelling or hypertrophy can contribute to nasal obstruction and mouth breathing, particularly in allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, and infections. Anatomical variation include concha bullosa, a pneumatized middle turbinate that can affect drainage or airflow. Management ranges from medical therapy, such as intranasal corticosteroids, antihistamines, and saline irrigation, to surgical options in refractory cases, including turbinate reduction or turbinectomy and turbinate-preserving procedures like turbinate plasty.

Developmentally, turbinates arise from the ethmoidal region and mature with age, exhibiting individual variation in size and degree of pneumatization.