Superior nasal meatus

Bone: Superior meatus
Roof, floor, and lateral wall of left nasal cavity. (Superior meatus labeled at center right.)
Coronal section of nasal cavities. (Superior meatus labeled at center right.)
Latin	meatus nasi superior
Gray's	subject #57 195

The superior meatus, the smallest of the three meatuses of the nose, occupies the middle third of the lateral wall of the nasal cavity.

It lies between the superior nasal conchæ and middle nasal conchæ; the sphenopalatine foramen opens into it behind, and the posterior ethmoidal cells in front.

The sphenoidal sinus opens into a recess, the sphenoethmoidal recess, which is placed superior to and posterior to the superior concha.

Additional images

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  Ethmoid bone

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  Horizontal section of nasal and orbital cavities.

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  Sagittal section of nose mouth, pharynx, and larynx.

External links

• SUNY Figs 33:04-08
• Atlas of anatomy at UMich rsa1p6 - Coronal section

This article incorporates text from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy.