Woodruff's plexus

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Woodruff's plexus was discovered by George H. Woodruff in 1949. The plexus is located below the posterior end of the inferior concha, on the lateral wall of the nasal cavity. [1] [2] [3] He described it as the naso-nasopharyngeal plexus. [1]

Contents

Structure

Woodruff's plexus is located on the lateral wall of the nasal cavity below the posterior end of the inferior nasal concha (turbinate). [3] The plexus contains both arteries and veins which lie in a thin mucosa. [4] The major arteries supplying the plexus are the sphenopalatine artery and ascending pharyngeal artery. [5] The internal maxillary vein is also within the plexus.

Clinical significance

Bleeding

A nosebleed (epistaxis) usually occurs in the anterior part of the nose from an area known as Kiesselbach's plexus which consists of arteries. Woodruff's plexus is a venous plexus in the posterior part and a nosebleed here accounts for only between 5 and 10 per cent of nosebleeds. Older adults are most often affected. [6]

Risk factors for nosebleed in Woodruff's plexus
LocalSystemic

[7]

Treatment

Posterior nasal packing is needed for posterior epistaxis.

References

  1. 1 2 Woodruff, GH (November 1949). "Cardiovascular epistaxis and the naso-nasopharyngeal plexus". The Laryngoscope. 59 (11): 1238–47. doi:10.1288/00005537-194911000-00003. PMID   15394264. S2CID   43177792.
  2. ↑ Gleeson, Michael, ed. (2008). Scott-Brown's otolaryngology, head and neck surgery (7th ed.). London: Hodder Arnold. ISBN   978-0340808931.
  3. 1 2 "Woodruff plexus". radiopaedia.org. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  4. ↑ Chiu, TW; Shaw-Dunn, J; McGarry, GW (October 2008). "Woodruff's plexus". The Journal of Laryngology and Otology. 122 (10): 1074–7. doi:10.1017/S002221510800176X. PMID   18289456. S2CID   2866097.
  5. ↑ "Epistaxis | Iowa Head and Neck Protocols". medicine.uiowa.edu. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
  6. ↑ Seiden, Allen M., ed. (2002). Otolaryngology : the essentials (1st ed.). New York [u.a.]: Thieme. ISBN   9780865778542.
  7. ↑ Corry J. Kucik; Timothy Clenney (January 15, 2005). "Management of Epistaxis". American Family Physician. 71 (2). American Academy of Family Physicians: 305–311. PMID   15686301. Archived from the original on 29 August 2008. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
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