The retropharyngeal lymph nodes, from one to three in number, lie in the
buccopharyngeal fascia
The buccopharyngeal fascia is a fascia in the head and neck.
Structure
The buccopharyngeal runs parallel to the medial aspect of the carotid sheath. It is a thin lamina given off from the pretracheal fascia.
It is attached to the prevertebral f ...
, behind the upper part of the
pharynx
The pharynx (plural: pharynges) is the part of the throat behind the mouth and nasal cavity, and above the oesophagus and trachea (the tubes going down to the stomach and the lungs). It is found in vertebrates and invertebrates, though its ...
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 t ...
.
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 ...
, the
nasal part of the pharynx
The pharynx (plural: pharynges) is the part of the throat behind the mouth and nasal cavity, and above the oesophagus and trachea (the tubes going down to the stomach and the lungs). It is found in vertebrates and invertebrates, though its struc ...
, and the
auditory tubes.
Their ''efferents'' pass to the
superior deep cervical lymph nodes.
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 la ...
.
They frequently disappear by age 4-5.
(This is why
retropharyngeal abscess is rare in older children.)
See also
*
Rouvière node
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