Quick Facts
Location: Lateral walls of the oropharynx.
Arterial supply: Tonsillar branches of dorsal lingual, facial, and ascending pharyngeal arteries, ascending and lesser palatine arteries.
Venous Drainage: Pterygoid venous plexus.
Innervation: Tonsillar branches of glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX).
Lymphatic drainage: Deep cervical lymph nodes.
Related parts of the anatomy
Structure
The palatine tonsils are ovoid accumulations of lymphoid tissue that sit in the oropharynx near the posterior aspect of the oral cavity.
Key Features & Anatomical Relations
The palatine tonsils sit in the tonsillar fossa between the palatoglossal and palatopharyngeal arches within the lateral walls of the oropharynx. The glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX) sits lateral to the tonsils and may be affected during swelling following a tonsillectomy.
Function
The palatine tonsils form part of Waldeyer’s ring. This accumulation of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) surrounds the openings of the respiratory and digestive tracts and contributes to the defense against upper respiratory tract and oral cavity infections. The lingual, palatine, pharyngeal, and tubal tonsils all contribute to the formation of this ring of lymphoid tissue.
Arterial Supply
The tonsillar branches of dorsal lingual, facial, and ascending pharyngeal arteries, as well as the ascending and lesser palatine arteries all supply the palatine tonsils.
Venous Drainage
The palatine tonsils are primarily drained by the pterygoid venous plexus.
Nerve Supply
Tonsillar branches of the glossopharyngeal nerve defasciculate to form a plexus of nerves called the tonsillar plexus. The tonsillar plexus can anastomose with fibers of the greater and lesser palatine nerves (Standring, 2016).
Lymphatic Drainage
Lymph drains via the upper deep cervical lymph nodes.
List of Clinical Correlates
—Tonsillectomy
References
Standring, S. (2016) Gray's Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. Gray's Anatomy Series: Elsevier Limited.
Learn more about this topic from other Elsevier products
Palatine Tonsil
The palatine tonsil is a lymphoid structure housed within the tonsillar fossa, which is bordered anteriorly and posteriorly by mucosal folds (commonly referred to as the anterior and posterior tonsil pillars) comprising the palatoglossus and palatopharyngeus muscles, respectively.
