STRUCTURAL AND ULTRASTRUCTURAL PECULIARIT IES OF ENDONASAL SWELL BODIES OF THE INFERIOR TURBINATE IN MAN

The cavernous tissue of the nose has been studied morphologically for now more than 150 years. Even though the majority of new findings was already described in the second half of the last century and is associ ated with scientists like Kolliker, Kohlrausch and Zuckerkandl. The va scular structures, usually described as ''cavernous tissue'' or ''swel l bodies'' are located in different parts of the nasal mucosa, but mai nly in the inferior turbinate. In the present paper the author demonst rates the results of his studies on the structure and ultrastructure o f smooth muscle components of nasal swell bodies based on light - and transmission-electron microscopic findings. Light microscopic observat ions already reveal the differences in vascular wall structure between areas adjacent to the epithelium and those parts of the vessels locat ed in the deeper parts of the tunica propria. Ultrastructural examinat ion shows differences in size and density of smooth muscle cells in di fferent parts of the cavernous tissue; it also demonstrates the varian t appearance of the basal lamina of these muscle cells. The results ar e discussed and compared with the appropriate literatur.