RT Book, Section
A1 Melotek, James
A1 Unger, Keith
A1 Gutfeld, Orit
A1 Lee, Nancy
A2 Morita, Shane Y.
A2 Balch, Charles M.
A2 Klimberg, V. Suzanne
A2 Pawlik, Timothy M.
A2 Posner, Mitchell C.
A2 Tanabe, Kenneth K.
SR Print(0)
ID 1145758756
T1 Nasopharyngeal Cancer
T2 Textbook of Complex General Surgical Oncology
YR 2018
FD 2018
PB McGraw-Hill Education
PP New York, NY
SN 9780071793315
LK accesssurgery.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1145758756
RD 2024/04/25
AB The  nasopharynx  is  the  anatomical  region  bounded  by  the  sphenoid  bone  superiorly,  the  soft  palate  inferiorly,  the  clivus  and  uppermost  cervical  vertebrae  posteriorly,  and  the  nasal  choanae  anteriorly.  The  lateral  walls  include  the  mucosa  covering  the  torus  tubarius,  which  forms  the  eustachian  tube  orifice,  and  the  fossa  of  Rosenmüller,  a  recess  that  lies  posterior  to  the  torus.  The  eustachian  tube  pierces  the  pharyngobasilar  fascia  at  the  sinus  of  Morgagni,  a  common  site  for  tumor  infiltration.  The  American  Joint  Committee  on  Cancer  (AJCC)  defines  three  anatomic  spaces  that  are  in  close  proximity  to  the  nasopharynx  and  are  relevant  for  staging  of  nasopharyngeal  carcinoma  (NPC):  the  parapharyngeal  space,  the  carotid  space,  and  the  masticator  space.1  The  parapharyngeal  space  lies  lateral  and  posterior  to  the  nasopharynx.  It  extends  from  the  skull  base  down  to  the  level  of  the  angle  of  the  mandible,  and  is  anterior  to  the  styloid  process  and  medial  to  the  masticator  space.  The  carotid  space  is  an  enclosed  fascial  space  that  lies  posterior  to  the  styloid  process  and  contains  the  internal  carotid  artery,  internal  jugular  vein,  and  cranial  nerves  IX–XII.  The  masticator  space  includes  the  muscles  of  mastication  and  is  enclosed  by  the  superficial  layer  of  the  deep  cervical  fascia.