Nose

The nose, sometimes referred to as the external nose, is a feature of the face and is composed of soft tissues that extend externally from the skull. It is continuous posteriorly with the nasal cavity. The anterior (piriform) aperture is bounded above by the nasal bones and elsewhere by the two maxillae.

The external nose is formed by nasal bones (bridge of nose), lateral (upper) and greater (alar or lower) nasal cartilages and supported in the midline by the nasal septum. The mucocutaneous area of the nose lies beyond the hair-bearing area .

The anterior nares (or nostrils) form the entrance to the nose.

Arterial supply

• facial artery (from external cartoid artery)
• with anastomoses from the supraorbital and supratrochlear arteries (from internal carotid artery) 

Venous drainage

• facial veins to the internal jugular vein
• valveless venous anastomoses with orbital and ophthalmic veins (and thus the cavernous sinus) and the pterygopalatine venous plexus, making this a potential route of infectious spread

Lymphatic drainage

• receives lymphatics from the anterior nasal cavity and then in lymphatics that accompany the facial vein to the submandibular lymph nodes

Innervation

• skin of the nose is supplied by the external nasal nerve (ophthalmic division of trigeminal nerve)