ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY 1 a 65-year-old woman and her 9-year-old granddaughter were

Question

ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY 1

a 65-year-old woman and her 9-year-old granddaughter were in a train crash. The granddaughter sustained only minor injuries, but at the moment of impact her grandmother struck her nose sharply on the metal bar of the seat in front of her. She was taken to the hospital with clear fluid running from her nose, and she was complaining of inability to smell anything. X rays showed that the grandmother had fractured a cranial bone. Surgery to repair the damage was delicate and difficult, and the woman's sense of smell never returned.

1. Which cranial bone was fractured?

2. Explain why the fracture of this particular bone might lead to the sense of smell being lost.

3. Explain why was there clear fluid running from her nose after the injury. What was this fluid (no, not mucus)?

Explanation / Answer

Skull fractures occur more easily at the thin squamous temporal and parietal bones, the sphenoid sinus, the foramen magnum (the opening at the base of the skull that the spinal cord passes through), the petrous temporal ridge, and the inner portions of the sphenoid wings at the base of the skull.

The common cold is a frequent cause for a partial, temporary loss of smell. Chronic sinus infection also may result in a loss of smell. Other obstructions in the nasal passages, such as polyps, also may cause at least a partial loss of smell. Normal aging is often the cause of a progressive, complete, and permanent loss of smell.

Problems with the inner lining of your nose

Anosmia can be caused by temporary or permanent irritation, or destruction of the mucous membranes lining the inside of your nose. This can be caused by:

These conditions are generally the most common causes of loss of smell.

Obstructions of your nasal passages

Anosmia can be caused by something physically blocking the flow of air through your nose. These obstructions can include:

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