Tumors of the pharynx

Abstract

The nasopharynx is the most superior part of the pharynx. It is a vault-shaped dome that acts as a conduit between the nasal cavity and the oropharynx for respiration (Fig. 10.1). It is bounded from all sides by rigid bony structures with little soft tissue overlying, except part of its floor, which is composed of the soft palate. The oropharynx is the middle part of the throat which includes the base of the tongue, the tonsils, the soft palate, and the walls of the pharynx. The hypopharynx is the region between the oropharynx above and the esophageal inlet below.