Objectives/hypothesis: To determine whether histological differences exist between the medial and lateral sides of the normal mucosa of the uncinate process (UP).
Study design: Retrospective histological analysis.
Methods: Twenty UPs from the nasal cavities of 17 patients with no evidence of sinus disease were harvested during endoscopic sinus surgery. The dissected mucosa was stained with hematoxylin and eosin, chromotrope 2R, alcian blue-periodic acid-Schiff, and toluidine blue.
Results: : The thickness of the nasal mucosa was significantly greater on the medial side of the UPs than on the lateral side (173 +/- 72 microm vs. 157 +/- 14 microm). The thickness of the basement membrane of the lamina propria of the mucosa was significantly greater on the medial side of the UPs than on the lateral side (2.8 +/- 2.5 microm vs. 0.8 +/- 1.0 microm). The thickness of the epithelium was greater on the lateral side than on the medial side (14 +/- 3 microm vs. 12 +/- 3 microm). The area of mucous glands was larger on the medial side than on the lateral side (43 +/- 13 x 10(-2) mm(2) vs. 33 +/- 12 x 10(-2) mm(2)). Meanwhile, the number of mast cells (4.0 +/- 1.2 vs. 1.8 +/- 0.2) and goblet cells (23.1 +/- 12.3 vs. 10.5 +/- 10.2) were both found to be higher on the lateral side than on the medial side.
Conclusions: There are histological differences between the mucosa on the medial and lateral sides of the normal UP.