The retropharyngeal lymph nodes, from one to three in number, lie in the buccopharyngeal fascia

Buccopharyngeal fascia

Parallel to the carotid sheath and along its medial aspect the prevertebral fascia gives off a thin lamina, the buccopharyngeal fascia, which closely invests the constrictor muscles of the pharynx and is continued forward from the constrictor pharyngis superior onto the buccinator.It is attached to...

, behind the upper part of the pharynx

Pharynx

The human pharynx is the part of the throat situated immediately posterior to the mouth and nasal cavity, and anterior to the esophagus and larynx. The human pharynx is conventionally divided into three sections: the nasopharynx , the oropharynx , and the laryngopharynx...

 and in front of the arch of the atlas

Arch of the atlas

Arch of the atlas can refer to:* Anterior arch of the atlas* Posterior arch of the atlas...

, being separated, however, from the latter by the Longus capitis.

Their afferents drain the nasal cavities, the nasal part of the pharynx, and the auditory tubes.

Their efferents pass to the superior deep cervical glands.

They are in the retropharyngeal space

Retropharyngeal space

The retropharyngeal space is a space bounded by the buccopharyngeal fascia anteriorly and the alar fascia posteriorly.It includes the retropharyngeal lymph nodes....

.

They frequently disappear by age 4-5. (This is why retropharyngeal abscess

Retropharyngeal abscess

Most commonly seen in infants and young children, retropharyngeal abscess is an abscess located in the tissues in the back of the throat behind the posterior pharyngeal wall . Because RPA's typically occur in deep tissue, they are difficult to diagnose by physical examination alone...

is rare in older children.)

External links

• http://www.med.mun.ca/anatomyts/head/hnl3a.htm
• http://www.emedicine.com/ent/topic306.htm#section~anatomy_of_the_cervical_lymphatics