Laryngopharynx

Organs · Latin: Pars laryngea pharyngis

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The laryngopharynx, (Latin: pars laryngea pharyngis), also known as hypopharynx, is the caudal part of the pharynx; it is the part of the throat that connects to the esophagus.

It lies inferior to the epiglottis and extends to the location where this common pathway diverges into the respiratory (laryngeal) and digestive (esophageal) pathways.

At that point, the laryngopharynx is continuous with the esophagus posteriorly.

The esophagus conducts food and fluids to the stomach; air enters the larynx anteriorly.

During swallowing, food has the "right of way", and air passage temporarily stops.

Corresponding roughly to the area located between the 4th and 6th cervical vertebrae, the superior boundary of the laryngopharynx is at the level of the hyoid bone.

The laryngopharynx includes three major sites: the pyriform sinus, postcricoid area, and the posterior pharyngeal wall.

Like the oropharynx above it, the laryngopharynx serves as a passageway for food and air and is lined with a stratified squamous epithelium.

It is innervated by the pharyngeal plexus.

The vascular supply to the laryngopharynx includes the superior thyroid artery, the lingual artery and the ascending pharyngeal artery.

The primary neural supply is from both the vagus and glossopharyngeal nerves.

The vagus nerve provides an auricular branch also termed "Arnold's nerve" which also supplies the external auditory canal, thus laryngopharyngeal cancer can result in referred ear pain.

This nerve is also responsible for the ear-cough reflex in which stimulation of the ear canal results in a person coughing.

Definition from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.