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Presented by Roll Numbers:

Anatomy of Pharynx

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Pharynx

  • Located: In the Head and Neck Region

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  • Important passageway for food and air

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  • Composition and Shape: Muscular tube with Musculo-membranous walls

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  • Funnel-Shape: wide at upper part and narrows at the lower part

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  • Not Continuous Anteriorly for connections with:
  • Nasal Cavity, Oral Cavity, Laryngeal Inlet

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  • Extent:

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  • From Base of the Skull to the lower border of cricoid cartilage

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Nasopharynx (Nasal Pharynx)

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  • Extent: Base of skull to Soft Palette
  • Pharyngeal Isthmus [Opening]
  • Pharyngeal tonsil (adenoids) [Roof]
  • Auditory Tube (Eustachian Tubes) [Lateral Wall]

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Oropharynx (Oral Pharynx)

  • Floor: 1/3 of tongue until epiglottitis
  • Palatoglossal and Palatopharyngeal arches [Lateral Wall]
  • Oropharyngeal Isthmus [Between Palatoglossals]
  • Palatine Tonsils

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Laryngopharynx [Laryngeal Pharynx]

  • Epiglottis to Lower border of Cricoid Cartilage
  • Thyroid Cartilage and Thyrohyoid membrane [Lateral Wall]
  • Piriformis fossa (depression in mucus membrane either side of inlet)
  • Medial: Aryepiglottic folds Lateral: Thyroid Cartilage

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Blood Supply of Pharynx

  • External Carotid Artery > Ascending Pharyngeal

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  • External Carotid Artery > Facial Artery
  • Branches of Facial Artery:
  • 1) Tonsillar Branches of Facial Artery [Main]
  • 2) Ascending Palatine branch of Facial Artery

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  • Branches of Maxillary [Greater Palantine] and Lingual Arteries [Dorsal]

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Nerve Supply of Pharynx

  • Nasopharynx: Maxillary Nerve [CN V, Branch 2]

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  • Oropharynx: Glossopharyngeal Nerve [CN IX[

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  • Laryngopharynx: (around entrance into pharynx) supplied by internal laryngeal branch of vagus nerve [CN X]

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Pharyngeal Lymph Drainage

Direct > Deep Cervical Lymph Nodes

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Indirect: Retropharyngeal or Paratracheal Lymph nodes and then Deep Cervical Lymph nodes

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