Structural characteristics of septal cartilage and mucoperichondrium

Abstract

During nasal septum surgery, elevation of mucoperichondrium from the anterior nasal septum may be more difficult than from the medial and posterior septum. This study aimed to evaluate any histological structural differences between the anterior and posterior nasal septum cartilage, mucoperichondrium and intervening tissue. Unilateral mucoperichondrial flap elevation without infiltration was performed, after nasal tip and dorsum decortication, in four patients undergoing open septorhinoplasty. Full-thickness samples, including cartilage and mucoperichondrium, were removed from the anterior and posterior nasal septum and examined under light and electron microscopy. Light microscopy showed no difference between anterior and posterior septum specimens regarding perichondrial thickness and subperichondrial cell density. Demarcation between cartilage and perichondrium and between perichondrium and lamina propria was more regular in the posterior versus the anterior septum. Electron microscopy showed no difference in chondroblast activity at the two sites. The observed tissue demarcation irregularities may explain the greater reported difficulty in elevating anterior versus posterior nasal septum mucoperichondrium. Immunohistochemical examination would further elucidate these interstructural connections.