Morphological characterization of the nasopalatine region in human fetuses and its association to pathologies

The nasopalatine region is composed of structures such as the vomeronasal organ and nasopalatine duct. The nasopalatine duct may provide the communication of the mouth to the nasal cavity in human fetuses and can be obliterated in an adult human. Knowledge on the development of the nasopalatine region and nasopalatine duct in humans is necessary for understanding the morphology and etiopathogenesis of lesions that occur in this region. Objective The aim of the present study was to describe the morphological aspects of the nasopalatine region in human fetuses and correlate these aspects with the development of pathologies in this region. Material and Methods Five human fetuses with no facial or palatine abnormalities were used for the acquisition of specimens from the nasopalatine region. After demineralization, the specimens were histologically processed. Histological cuts were stained with methylene blue to orient the cutting plane and hematoxylin-eosin for the descriptive histological analysis. Results The age of the fetuses was 8.00, 8.25, 9.00 and 9.25 weeks, and it was not possible to determine the age in the last one. The incisive canal was observed in all specimens as an opening delimited laterally by the periosteum and connecting oral and nasal cavity. The nasopalatine duct is an epithelial structure with the greatest morphological variation, with either unilateral or bilateral occurrence and total patent, partial patent and islet forms. The vomeronasal organ is a bilateral epithelized structure located alongside the nasal septum above the incisive canal in all the fetuses. Conclusions The incisive canal, nasopalatine duct and vomeronasal organ are distinct anatomic structures. The development of nasopalatine duct cysts may occur in all forms of the nasopalatine duct. .

Supernumerary nostril: a case report and review / Fosa nasal supernumeraria: reporte de un caso y revisión

Supernumerary nostril is a very rare congenital anomaly, which includes additional nostril with or without accessory cartilage. In the present case of the left supernumerary nostril, a small cavity of around 3 mm diameter and accessory lower lateral cartilage were present. The cavity was lined with mucous membrane and filled with mucoid discharge .Nasal endoscopy of accessory nasal cavity revealed that it was small as compared to normal nasal cavity and did not communicate with the ipsilateral nasal cavity. The diameter of the normal anterior nasal opening was less on left side as compared to right side. Unilateral supernumerary nostril may occur because of the Assuring of the lateral nasal process during fetal growth.

Fosa nasal supernumeraria es una anomalía congénita muy poco frecuente, que incluye una nueva fosa nasal con o sin cartílago accesorio. En el presente caso de fosa nasal supernumeraria izquierda estaban presentes, una pequeña cavidad de unos 3 mm de diámetro y cartílago lateral accesorio inferior. La cavidad estaba revestida con membranas mucosas y llena con descarga mucoide. La endoscopía nasal de la cavidad nasal accesoria reveló que ésta era pequeña en comparación con la cavidad nasal normal y que no se comunicaba con la cavidad nasal ipsilateral. El diámetro normal de la apertura nasal anterior fue menor en el lado izquierdo en comparación con el lado derecho. La fosa nasal unilateral supernumeraria puede ocurrir a causa de las fisuras del proceso lateral nasal durante el crecimiento fetal.

Is the conduct of serres an anatomical variation in adults? / ¿Es el conducto de serres una variación anatómica en adultos?

In 1817, the denominated conduct of Serres was described as a formation that was highly prevalent in children's jaws, but considered as an anatomical variation in adults. In this study we analyze the presence of the denominated Serres'- conduct in 324 jaws belonging to the collection of the Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo (UNIFESP), with sex and age registration, 68 subadults of age between 0 and 2 years and 256 adults of age between 18 and 100 years. We found that the prevalence was in order to 100 percent in the subadults group and 42.6 percent in the adults group. In adults, the prevalence of this anatomical structure was greater in women than in men, with a difference statistically significant for the variable sex (Chi2 = 0.0148; I.C 95 percent=0.29-0.91; O.R. =0.51). According to the age, the biggest prevalence was in the fourth decade of the life, not being of any statistical significance for this variable. Based on the opposing evidence, this article discusses the character of anatomical variation of this formation and based on the anatomical terminology, intending to denominate the paramandibular canal.

El denominado conducto de Serres es una formación descrita en 1817, como altamente prevalente en mandíbulas de niños, pero considerado una variación anatómica en adultos. En este estudio analizamos la presencia del denominado conducto de Serres en 324 mandíbulas pertenecientes a la colección de la Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, con registro de sexo y edad, 68 de subadultos de entre 0 y 2 años y 256 de adultos de entre 18 y 100 años. Nosotros encontramos un 100 por ciento de prevalencia en el grupo de subadultos y un 42.6 por ciento en el grupo de adultos. En adultos, la prevalencia de esta estructura anatómica fue mayor en mujeres que en hombres, con una diferencia estadísticamente significativa para la variable sexo (Chi²= 0.0148; I.C 95 por ciento=0.29-0.91; O.R.=0.51). De acuerdo a la edad, la mayor prevalencia se encontró en la 4ª década de la vida, no encontrándose significancia estadística para esta variable. En base a la evidencia encontrada, en este artículo se discute el carácter de variación anatómica de esta formación y basado en la terminología anatómica se propone denominarla canal paramandibular.