[Nature of the corpora cavernosa of the conchae nasales]

As a result of histological investigation performed in nasal cavities of 28 persons died at the age of 17-82 years of age and in two human fetuses at the age of 30 and 40 weeks, it has been established that in the mucosal tunic of the concha nasalis besides nutritive arteries of a common structure, shunt arteries, having a complete analogy with the cochlear arteries of the cavernous bodies of the genital organs, are common findings. They have a narrow lumen, thick middle tunic consisting of epithelioid cells, no elastic membrane and are opened according to the glomal anastomosis type or the cochlear labyrinth type into the lacunae of the cavernous bodies. Therefore, the nasal cavernous bodies should be regarded as true ones. They occur constantly but alternate with venous plexuses, since they are situated together with the latter in the fibrous stroma of the tunica mucosa. They are hermetizing venous structures.