[Pathomorphology of the mucous membrane of the human nose exposed to high altitudes].

Studies of semi-thin sections, transmission and scanning electron microscopy of human nasal mucosa under conditions of highlands (3375 m above sea level) established that after two weeks of stay at this height disadaptive changes of the nasal mucosa include edema, leukocyte infiltration, destructive changes in the cells of tegmental epithelium and their focal desquamation. Within one month disadaptive changes become a chronic process accompanied by metaplasia of respiratory epithelium into multilayer squamous epithelium.