Unique Lateral Nasal Diverticulum in Dromedaries: Anatomical Structure and Possible Functions

Latifi, Fatgzim; Belegu, Kastriot; Girgiri, Ibrahim Alhaji; Eshra, Eman

doi:10.21608/ejvs.2025.366859.2693

Unique Lateral Nasal Diverticulum in Dromedaries: Anatomical Structure and Possible Functions

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, University of Prishtina, Prishtina Kosovo

² Department of Morphofunctional Modules, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Agricultural University of Tirana.

³ Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria

⁴ Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Egypt.

10.21608/ejvs.2025.366859.2693

Abstract

The lateral nasal diverticulum is a unique anatomical structure characteristic of dromedaries. However, little known about the anatomy and histology of this diverticulum. The aim of this study was to investigate the macroscopic and microscopic structure of the lateral nasal diverticulum in camels, and to elucidate its possible functions, A total of ten camel heads were used for this study. Grossly, it comprised of intranasal and intramuscular parts, both of which located mostly within the nasal vestibule. It started at the nasal opening, at the junction of vestibular skin and the mucus membrane of nasal cavity proper. It ended as blind sac near the infraorbital foramen. Histologically, it was lined by stratified columnar epithelium with goblet cells. The mucosa presented a number of crypts and clefts. The submucosal glands were well developed and mostly of serous type. The lateral nasal diverticulum aid in narial closure, humidification of nasal mucosa, and detection of olfactory cues as a possible function in dromedaries.

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