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Palatopharyngeus muscle

The palatopharyngeus muscle is a slender, longitudinal muscle of the soft palate and pharynx, integral to the function of the pharyngeal wall and the formation of the palatopharyngeal arch. It plays a crucial role in swallowing and speech by elevating the pharynx and larynx and helping to close the nasopharynx during deglutition. Its anatomical relationships are important in various surgical, radiological, and clinical settings.

Synonyms

  • Palatopharyngeal muscle

  • Musculus palatopharyngeus

  • Soft palate pharyngeal muscle

Function

  • Elevates the pharynx and larynx during swallowing and speech

  • Helps to close the nasopharynx by moving the soft palate backward and downward

  • Assists in the formation of the palatopharyngeal arch

  • Aids in bolus transport during deglutition

Origin

  • Posterior border of the hard palate

  • Palatine aponeurosis of the soft palate

Insertion

  • Posterior border of the thyroid cartilage (lamina)

  • Blends with fibers of the pharyngeal constrictor muscles

  • Lateral and posterior wall of the pharynx

Nerve Supply

  • Pharyngeal plexus

  • Mainly supplied by the pharyngeal branch of the vagus nerve (cranial nerve X)

  • Some contribution from the cranial part of the accessory nerve (CN XI) via the pharyngeal plexus

Artery Supply

  • Ascending palatine artery (branch of the facial artery)

  • Ascending pharyngeal artery (branch of the external carotid artery)

  • Lesser palatine artery (branch of the descending palatine artery)

Vein Supply

  • Drains mainly into the pharyngeal venous plexus

  • Some drainage into the palatine veins

MRI Appearance

  • T1-weighted images: The palatopharyngeus muscle appears as an intermediate (isointense) structure relative to surrounding muscles.

  • T2-weighted images: Normal muscle demonstrates relatively low signal intensity, but increased signal may indicate edema or pathology.

  • STIR (Short Tau Inversion Recovery): Muscle shows low signal intensity in healthy tissue; hyperintensity is seen if there is edema, inflammation, or acute injury.

CT Appearance

  • Appears as a soft-tissue density muscle forming part of the posterolateral pharyngeal wall and the palatopharyngeal arch

MRI images

Palatopharyngeus muscle mri axial image 1 -img-00000-00000