Pharynx and Larynx Flashcards
What is the pharynx?
Muscular tube lined with mucosa that communicates with nasal, oral and laryngeal cavities.
Where does the pharynx extend from?
From cranial base to lower border of cricoid cartilage and becomes continues with oesophagus.
What is the cricoid cartilage?
Cartilage that surrounds the trachea near the middle of the neck (below the thyroid cartilage).
Describe the borders of the nasopharynx
Floor formed by soft palate.
Posterior wall - superior constrictor muscle.
Lateral wall - contains opening of Eustachian tube / auditory tube. Lymphoid tissue is behind this.
Roof contains pharyngeal tonsils (lymphoid tissue).
Describe the borders of the oropharynx
Lies beneath soft palate. Can be separated from nasopharynx by raising soft palate (swallowing).
Anteriorly - palatoglossus and palatopharyngeal arches with palatine tonsils between.
Contains the superior constrictor muscle.
What is the blood supply for the palatine tonsils?
Ascending pharyngeal, lingual and lesser palatine arteries
Why is there a risk of haemorrhage during tonsillectomy?
The ascending pharyngeal, lingual and lesser palatine arteries anastomose in the tonsil.
Describe the laryngopharynx
Between superior border of epiglottis and ends at inferior border of cricoid cartilage at C6 by joining into oesophagus.
Contains middle and inferior constrictor muscles.
What are the 4 layers of the pharynx?
- Mucosal coat
- Submucosa
- Muscular coat
- Areolar coat
What does the submucosa contain and why?
Fibrous coat that anchors the pharynx to the cranial base.
What does the areolar coat contain and why?
Buccopharyngeal fascia which covered the exterior of the pharynx.
How do the 3 constrictor muscles work?
They contract sequentially from superior to inferior to constrict the lumen to produce peristaltic waves to move bolus down oesophagus.
What are the 2 longitudinal muscles?
Palatopharyngeus and Stylopharyngeus.
What is the origin and insertion of the Palatopharyngeus?
Arises from palatal aponeurosis and Eustachian tube.
Inserts into posterior part of pharynx, hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage.
What is the origin and insertion of the Stylopharyngeus?
Arises from styloid process.
Descends through gap between middle and inferior constrictor muscles.
Enters pharynx where its fibres mingle with Palatopharyngeus muscle and inserts similarly.
What is the origin of the constrictor muscles?
- Superior = pterygomandibular ligament, alveolar process of mandible and medial pterygoid plate and pterygoid hamulus of the sphenoid bone.
- Middle = stylohyoid ligament and the greater/lesser horns of the hyoid bone.
- Inferior = superior part arises from thyroid cartilage and inferior component arises from cricoid cartilage
Where do the constrictor muscles insert?
They meet at the pharyngeal raphe which attaches to the pharyngeal tubercle on the cranial base (on occipital bone).
What motor nerve innervates the constrictor muscles?
Vagus (X) - pharyngeal branch.
What motor nerve innervates the longitudinal muscles?
Vagus (X) - pharyngeal branch, for all except stylopharyngess which is inverted by Glossopharyngeal (IX).
What are the sensory innervations for the Pharynx?
Main sensory = Glossopharyngeal (IX).
Maxillary branch of Trigeminal (CN V2) - soft palate and roof of pharynx (superior and anterior aspect of nasopharynx).
Inferior laryngopharynx - Vagus (X) - internal branch.
Describe the arterial blood supply of the pharynx.
Via branches of external carotid artery:
- Ascending pharyngeal artery
- Superior & Inferior thyroid artery (pharyngeal branch).
- Facial artery.
- Maxillary artery.
- Lingual artery.
Describe the venous drainage of the pharynx.
Pharyngeal venous plexus, which drains into the internal jugular vein.
Communicates with pterygoid plexus.
Describe the lymphatic drainage of the pharynx.
Most lymph vessels enter the deep cervical lymph nodes.
Some posterior lymph vessels enter the retropharyngeal nodes (lie between the prevertebral and buccopharyngeal fascia).
What bone does the Eustachian tube attach to?
Temporal
Where does the pharyngeal tonsil sit?
Roof and posterior wall of nasopharynx.
What conditions can cause food to travel into the Eustachian tube?
- Vomiting
- Cleft palate
What is the blood supply to the palatine tonsil?
Tonsilar branch of facial artery.
What forms the superior border of the laryngeal inlet?
Epiglottis and laterally by aryepiglottic fold
What is the piriform recess?
Gutter that separates the aryepiglottic fold from the thyroid cartilage and thyrohyoid membrane.
Foreign bodies can lodge in it and removal can damage the internal laryngeal nerve.
Where does the larynx sit?
Anterior to larygopharynx.
Extends from base of tongue to trachea (C3-C6).
Inlet lies behind posterior 1/3 of tongue.
What is the function of the larynx?
- Passageway for air - linking pharynx with trachea.
- Sphincter, preventing food entering trachea.
- Organ of phonation.
What are the 3 unpaired cartilages of the larynx?
- Thyroid
- Cricoid
- Epiglottis
What are the 3 paired cartilages of the larynx?
- Arytenoid
- Cuneiform
- Corniculate
Describe the thyroid cartilage
- Largest.
- 2 quadrilateral plates of hyaline cartilage fused in the midline.
- Posterior parts extend superiorly and inferiorly to form superior / inferior horns. Inferior horns articulate with cricoid cartilage.