Disorders of the Oropharynx

A concentration of lymphoid tissue is present at the entrance to the respiratory and digestive tracts called Waldeyer's ring. In the oropharynx this takes the form of the pharyngeal tonsils, the lingual tonsils, and scattered lymphoid follicles of the pharyngeal mucosa. This lymphoid tissue functions as a filtering mechanism to prevent deeper spread of infection which has penetrated the mucosal barrier of the upper airway. The physiologic reactions of Waldeyer's ring inflammation, edema, hyperplasia play a major role in the clinical manifestations of pharyngeal diseases.