Survey nasal septum (dog)

Stain: Hematoxylin and eosin. The nasal septum consists of a cartilage skeleton present as one long (1, cartilago vomeronasalis) and two short plates (2, cartilago septi nasi) with centrally dark-stained areas of chondrocytes. Below, the distal tip is covered with keratinized stratified squamous epithelium (3), including hairs (4) and sebaceous glands (5). This lining epithelium with its appendages continues at both sides up into the space of the nasal chambers. Higher within the chamber the appendages disappear. In a short transitional zone (6, folded area) the dermal papillae become deeper. Eventually only a slightly keratinized squamous epithelium with small papillae remains in the upper part (7). In the submucosa, starting in the transitional zone, venous sinusoids form a cavernous vascular tissue (8), known as swell bodies (cave nose bleeding or epistaxis). At the upper side close to the long hyaline cartilage plate seromucous nasal glands (9) with larger draining ducts (*) are present.