The lateral walls of the nasal cavity and nasopharynx are connected to other structures of the

head and neck including the Eustachian tube from the middle ear, nasolacrimal duct from the eye
and the paranasal sinuses. Knowledge of their anatomy is extremely relevant to our clinical
practice.

Three conchae can be seen extending from the lateral wall of the nasal cavity which divide the
entire cavity into superior, middle and inferior meatus respectively. The portion posterosuperior
to the superior concha is called the sphenoethmoidal recess.

The structures open into the nasal cavity in the following order from above downwards:

Sphenoidal sinus- Sphenoethmoidal recess

Posterior ethmoidal cells- Superior meatus

Anterior and middle ethmoidal cells, frontal and maxillary sinuses- Middle meatus

Nasolacrimal duct- Inferior meatus

Eustachian tube- Posterolateral aspect of the nasopharynx