Kiesselbach's plexus is an anastomotic arterial network (plexus) of four or five arteries in the nose supplying the nasal septum. It lies in the anterior inferior part of the septum known as Little's area, Kiesselbach's area, or Kiesselbach's triangle. It is a common site for anterior nosebleeds.

Structure

Kiesselbach's plexus is an anastomosis of four or five arteries: It runs vertically downwards just behind the columella, and crosses the floor of the nose. It joins the venous plexus on the lateral nasal wall.

Function

Kiesselbach's plexus supplies blood to the nasal septum.

Clinical significance

Ninety percent of nosebleeds (epistaxis) occur in Kiesselbach's plexus, whereas five to ten percent originate from Woodruff's plexus. It is exposed to the drying effect of inhaled air. It can also be damaged by trauma from a finger nail (nose picking), as it is fragile. It is the usual site for nosebleeds in children and young adults. A physician may use a nasal speculum to see that an anterior nosebleed comes from Kiesselbach's plexus.

History

James Lawrence Little (1836–1885), an American surgeon, first described the area in detail in 1879. Little described the area as being "about half an inch ... from the lower edge of the middle of the column [septum]". Kiesselbach's plexus is named after Wilhelm Kiesselbach (1839–1902), a German otolaryngologist who published a paper on the area in 1884. The area may be called Little's area, Kiesselbach's area, or Kiesselbach's triangle.

Other

A common mnemonic used to remember the arteries of the Kiesselbach's plexus is "Kiesselbach drives his Lexus with his LEGS" (superior Labial artery, anterior and posterior Ethmoid artery, Greater palatine artery, Sphenopalatine artery).