Anatomy Of Tonsils

Question 1

What are the other names for palatine tonsils ?

Answer 1

Faucial tonsils / just tonsils

Question 2

Where is palatine tonsils located ?

Answer 2

It is located in the tonsillar fossa on the lateral wall of oropharynx

Tonsillar fossa is a triangular shaped fossa bounded between anterior and posterior pillar

Anterior pillar is formed by palatoglossus arch
Posterior pillar is formed by palatopharyngeus arch

Question 3

Boundaries of tonsillar fossa

Answer 3

Anterior - palatoglossal arch
Posterior - palatopharyngeus arch
Apex - soft palate where the both arches meet
Base - dorsal part of posterior 1/3 of tongue
Lateral - tonsillar bed

Question 4

Tonsils have_______ surface and _________poles

Answer 4

2 surfaces and 2 poles

2 surfaces - lateral and medial
2 poles - superior and inferior / upper and lower

Question 5

How do we approach to remove the enlarged styloid process ?

Answer 5

We approach through the tonsils

Question 6

Structures forming the bed of tonsils

Answer 6

From medial to lateral

Peritonsillar space
Superior constrictor
Buccopharyngeal fascia
Anterior compartment of parapharyngeal space
Medial pterygoid
Mandible
Masseter
Parotid gland
Submandibular gland
Glossopharyngeal nerve
Facial artery

Question 7

Between the superior and middle constrictor what structure passes ?

Answer 7

Stylopharyngeus and glossopharyngeal nerve

Question 8

What is glossopharyngeal neuralgia?

Answer 8

Pain in the distribution of the nerve

Question 9

Sensory supply of tonsils and oropharynx

Answer 9

Glossopharyngeal nerve

Question 10

Arterial supply of the tonsil

Answer 10

From external carotid artery

Dorsal lingual branch - from lingual artery
Tonsillar artery and ascending palatine artery - from facial artery
Descending palatine - from maxillary artery
Ascending pharyngeal artery

Question 11

Venous drainage of tonsils

Answer 11

Paratonsillar vein / external palatine vein - found in the Peritonsillar space and is the most common source of bleeding during tonsillectomy

Question 12

Lymphatic drainage of tonsil

Answer 12

Juglodigastric / tonsillar node / wood’s node/upper deep cervical lymph node

Question 13

Graveyard of ENT surgeon / coffin

Answer 13

Tonsillo lingual sulcus

Space between the lower Pole of tonsil and base of tongue ; maybe the seat of carcinoma

Question 14

Medial surface of tonsils has what?

Answer 14

Crypts 12-15 and one main crypt called the crypta magna /intratonsillar cleft

Question 15

Out of the all the tonsils in the waldeyer’s ring the only tonsil that is capsulated is ?

Answer 15

Palatine tonsil ( hemicapsule )

Question 16

Intra tonsillar cleft or crypta magna is a remnant of what ?

Answer 16

Ventral part of second pharyngeal pouch

Question 17

anterior tonsillar space

Answer 17

A triangular fold of mucous membrane extends from anterior pillar to the anteroinferior part of the tonsil. It encloses a potential space called anterior tonsillar space.

Question 18

Supratonsillar fossa

Answer 18

medial surface is covered by a semilunar fold extending between the anterior and posterior pillars enclosing a potential space called supratonsillar fossa