21 Pharynx

Dr.
Mujahid Khan
The pharynx is situated behind the nasal cavities,
the mouth, and the larynx
It may be divided into nasal, oral, and laryngeal

parts
Its upper, wider end lying under the skull
Its lower, narrow end becoming continuous with

the esophagus opposite the sixth cervical vertebra
The pharynx has a musculomembranous wall,
which is deficient anteriorly
Here, it is replaced by the posterior openings

into the nose (choanae), the opening into the
mouth, and the inlet of the larynx
By means of the auditory tube, the mucous

membrane is also continuous with that of the
tympanic cavity
Wall of the pharynx consist of the superior,
middle, and inferior constrictor muscles
Fibers of these muscles run in a somewhat circular

direction
Stylopharyngeus and salpingopharyngeus muscles
Their fibers run in a somewhat longitudinal

direction
The three constrictor muscles extend around the
pharyngeal wall to be inserted into a fibrous band
or raphe
The raphe extends from the pharyngeal tubercle on

the basilar part of the occipital bone of the skull
down to the esophagus
The three constrictor muscles overlap each other so

that the middle constrictor lies on the outside of
the lower part of the superior constrictor and the
inferior constrictor lies outside the lower part of
the middle constrictor
The lower part of the inferior constrictor, which
arises from the cricoid cartilage, is called the
cricopharyngeus muscle
The fibers of the cricopharyngeus pass

horizontally around the lowest and narrowest
part of the pharynx and act as a sphincter
This lies above the soft palate and behind the nasal
cavities
In the submucosa of the roof is a collection of

lymphoid tissue called the pharyngeal tonsil
The pharyngeal isthmus is the opening in the floor

between the soft palate and the posterior
pharyngeal wall
On the lateral wall is the opening of the auditory

tube, the elevated ridge of which is called the tubal
elevation
The pharyngeal recess is a depression in the
pharyngeal wall behind the tubal elevation
The salpingopharyngeal fold is a vertical fold

of mucous membrane covering the
salpingopharyngeus muscle
This lies behind the oral cavity
The floor is formed by the posterior one third of

the tongue and the interval between the tongue
and epiglottis
In the midline is the median glossoepiglottic fold
on each side the lateral glossoepiglottic fold
The depression on each side of the median

glossoepiglottic fold is called the vallecula
On the lateral wall on each side are the
palatoglossal and the palatopharyngeal arches or
folds and the palatine tonsils between them
The palatoglossal arch is a fold of mucous

membrane covering the palatoglossus muscle
The interval between the two palatoglossal arches

is called the oropharyngeal isthmus
It marks the boundary between the mouth and

pharynx
The palatopharyngeal arch is a fold of mucous
membrane covering the palatopharyngeus
muscle
The recess between the palatoglossal and

palatopharyngeal arches is occupied by the
palatine tonsil
At the junction of the mouth with the oral part
of the pharynx, and the nose with the nasal
part of the pharynx, are collections of lymphoid
tissue
They are of considerable clinical importance
The palatine tonsils and the nasopharyngeal

tonsils are the most important
The palatine tonsils reach their maximum
normal size in early childhood
After puberty, together with other lymphoid

tissues in the body, they gradually atrophy
The palatine tonsils are a common site of

infection, producing the characteristic sore
throat and pyrexia.
The deep cervical lymph node situated below
and behind the angle of the mandible, which
drains lymph from this organ, is usually
enlarged and tender
Recurrent attacks of tonsillitis are best treated

by tonsillectomy
After tonsillectomy, the external palatine vein,

which lies lateral to the tonsil, may be the
source of troublesome postoperative bleeding
A peritonsillar abscess (quinsy) is caused by
spread of infection from the palatine tonsil to
the loose connective tissue outside the capsule
The nasopharyngeal tonsil or pharyngeal tonsil

consists of a collection of lymphoid tissue
beneath the epithelium of the roof of the nasal
part of the pharynx
Like the palatine tonsil, it is largest in early

childhood and starts to atrophy after puberty
Excessive hypertrophy of the lymphoid tissue,
usually associated with infection, causes the
pharyngeal tonsils to become enlarged
They are then commonly referred to as

adenoids
Marked hypertrophy blocks the posterior nasal

openings and causes the patient to snore loudly
at night and to breathe through the open
mouth
The close relationship of the infected lymphoid
tissue to the auditory tube may be the cause of
deafness and recurrent otitis media
Adenoidectomy is the treatment of choice for

hypertrophied adenoids with infection
The nasal part of the pharynx may be viewed

clinically by a mirror passed through the
mouth
This lies behind the opening into the larynx
The lateral wall is formed by the thyroid

cartilage and the thyrohyoid membrane
The piriform fossa is a depression in the

mucous membrane on each side of the
laryngeal inlet
Nasal pharynx: The maxillary nerve
Oral pharynx: The glossopharyngeal nerve
Laryngeal pharynx: The internal laryngeal

branch of the vagus nerve
Ascending pharyngeal, tonsillar branches of
facial arteries, and branches of maxillary and
lingual arteries
Directly into the deep cervical lymph nodes or
indirectly via the retropharyngeal or
paratracheal nodes into the deep cervical nodes
Masticated food is formed into a ball or bolus on
the dorsum of the tongue and voluntarily pushed
upward and backward against the undersurface of
the hard palate
This is brought about by the contraction of the

styloglossus muscles on both sides, which pull the
root of the tongue upward and backward
The palatoglossus muscles then squeeze the bolus

backward into the pharynx
From this point onward the process of swallowing

becomes an involuntary act
The nasal part of the pharynx is now shut off from
the oral part of the pharynx by the elevation of the
soft palate
By the pulling forward of the posterior wall of the

pharynx by the upper fibers of the superior
constrictor muscle
And by the contraction of the palatopharyngeus

muscles
This prevents the passage of food and drink into

the nasal cavities
The larynx and the laryngeal part of the pharynx
are pulled upward by the contraction of the
stylopharyngeus, salpingopharyngeus,
thyrohyoid, and palatopharyngeus muscles
The main part of the larynx is thus elevated to the

posterior surface of the epiglottis, and the entrance
into the larynx is closed
The laryngeal entrance is made smaller by the

approximation of the aryepiglottic folds, and the
arytenoid cartilages are pulled forward by the
contraction of the aryepiglottic, oblique arytenoid,
and thyroarytenoid muscles
The bolus moves downward over the epiglottis,
the closed entrance into the larynx, and reaches the
lower part of the pharynx as the result of the
successive contraction of the superior, middle, and
inferior constrictor muscles
Some of the food slides down the groove on either

side of the entrance into the larynx, that is, down
through the piriform fossae
Finally, the lower part of the pharyngeal wall (the

cricopharyngeus muscle) relaxes and the bolus
enters the esophagus
The palatine tonsils are two masses of
lymphoid tissue, each located in the depression
on the lateral wall of the oral part of the
pharynx between the palatoglossal and
palatopharyngeal arches
Each tonsil is covered by mucous membrane,

and its free medial surface projects into the
pharynx
The surface is pitted by numerous small

openings that lead into the tonsillar crypts
The tonsil is covered on its lateral surface by a
fibrous capsule
The capsule is separated from the superior

constrictor muscle by loose areolar tissue
The external palatine vein descends from the soft

palate in this tissue to join the pharyngeal venous
plexus
Lateral to the superior constrictor muscle lie the

styloglossus muscle, the loop of the facial artery,
and the internal carotid artery
The tonsillar branch of the facial artery
The veins pierce the superior constrictor

muscle and join the external palatine, the
pharyngeal, or the facial veins
Lymph drains into the upper deep cervical

lymph nodes, just below and behind the angle
of the mandible
The lymphoid tissue that surrounds the
opening into the respiratory and digestive
systems forms a ring
The lateral part of the ring is formed by the

palatine tonsils and tubal tonsils
The pharyngeal tonsil in the roof of the

nasopharynx forms the upper part, and the
lingual tonsil on the posterior third of the
tongue forms the lower part

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Dr.

It may be divided into nasal, oral, and laryngeal

Its upper, wider end lying under the skull

Its lower, narrow end becoming continuous with

Here, it is replaced by the posterior openings

By means of the auditory tube, the mucous

Fibers of these muscles run in a somewhat circular

Stylopharyngeus and salpingopharyngeus muscles

Their fibers run in a somewhat longitudinal

The raphe extends from the pharyngeal tubercle on

The three constrictor muscles overlap each other so

The fibers of the cricopharyngeus pass

In the submucosa of the roof is a collection of

The pharyngeal isthmus is the opening in the floor

On the lateral wall is the opening of the auditory

The salpingopharyngeal fold is a vertical fold

The floor is formed by the posterior one third of

In the midline is the median glossoepiglottic fold

on each side the lateral glossoepiglottic fold

The depression on each side of the median

The palatoglossal arch is a fold of mucous

The interval between the two palatoglossal arches

It marks the boundary between the mouth and

The recess between the palatoglossal and

They are of considerable clinical importance

The palatine tonsils and the nasopharyngeal

After puberty, together with other lymphoid

The palatine tonsils are a common site of

Recurrent attacks of tonsillitis are best treated

After tonsillectomy, the external palatine vein,

The nasopharyngeal tonsil or pharyngeal tonsil

Like the palatine tonsil, it is largest in early

They are then commonly referred to as

Marked hypertrophy blocks the posterior nasal

Adenoidectomy is the treatment of choice for

The nasal part of the pharynx may be viewed

The lateral wall is formed by the thyroid

The piriform fossa is a depression in the

Oral pharynx: The glossopharyngeal nerve

Laryngeal pharynx: The internal laryngeal

This is brought about by the contraction of the

The palatoglossus muscles then squeeze the bolus

From this point onward the process of swallowing

By the pulling forward of the posterior wall of the

And by the contraction of the palatopharyngeus

This prevents the passage of food and drink into

The main part of the larynx is thus elevated to the

The laryngeal entrance is made smaller by the

Some of the food slides down the groove on either

Finally, the lower part of the pharyngeal wall (the

Each tonsil is covered by mucous membrane,

The surface is pitted by numerous small

The capsule is separated from the superior

The external palatine vein descends from the soft

Lateral to the superior constrictor muscle lie the

The veins pierce the superior constrictor

Lymph drains into the upper deep cervical

The lateral part of the ring is formed by the

The pharyngeal tonsil in the roof of the