The retropharyngeal lymph nodes, from one to three in number, lie in the

buccopharyngeal fascia The buccopharyngeal fascia is a fascia of the pharynx. It represents the posterior portion of the pretracheal fascia (visceral fascia). It covers the superior pharyngeal constrictor muscles, and buccinator muscle. Structure The buccopharyng ...

, behind the upper part of the

pharynx The pharynx (: pharynges) is the part of the throat behind the human mouth, mouth and nasal cavity, and above the esophagus and trachea (the tubes going down to the stomach and the lungs respectively). It is found in vertebrates and invertebrates ...

and in front of the arch of the atlas, being separated, however, from the latter by the

longus capitis The longus capitis muscle (Latin for ''long muscle of the head'', alternatively rectus capitis anticus major) is broad and thick above, narrow below, and arises by four tendinous slips, from the anterior tubercles of the transverse processes of th ...

. Their ''afferents'' drain the

nasal cavities The nasal cavity is a large, air-filled space above and behind the nose in the middle of the face. The nasal septum divides the cavity into two cavities, also known as fossae. Each cavity is the continuation of one of the two nostrils. The nasal c ...

, the nasal part of the pharynx, and the auditory tubes. Their ''efferents'' pass to the

superior deep cervical lymph nodes The superior deep cervical lymph nodes are the deep cervical lymph nodes that are situated adjacent to the superior portion of the internal jugular vein. They drain either to the inferior deep cervical lymph nodes or into the jugular trunk. Most ...

. They are in the

retropharyngeal space The retropharyngeal space (abbreviated as "RPS") is a potential space and deep compartment of the head and neck situated posterior to the pharynx. The RPS is bounded anteriorly by the buccopharyngeal fascia, posteriorly by the alar fascia, and l ...

. They frequently disappear by age 4-5. (This is why

retropharyngeal abscess Retropharyngeal abscess (RPA) is an abscess located in the tissues in the back of the throat behind the posterior pharyngeal wall (the retropharyngeal space). Because RPAs typically occur in deep tissue, they are difficult to diagnose by physical ...

is rare in older children.)

References

External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20080216031919/http://www.med.mun.ca/anatomyts/head/hnl3a.htm * http://www.emedicine.com/ent/topic306.htm#section~anatomy_of_the_cervical_lymphatics Lymphatics of the head and neck {{Portal bar, Anatomy

See also

References

External links