Space
Piriform recess
A swallowing channel on either side of the larynx
High-yield
Internal superior laryngeal nerve branches travel beneath nearby mucosa. A penetrating foreign body can therefore affect sensation as well as injure the lining.
Overview
Each piriform recess lies lateral to the laryngeal inlet within the hypopharynx. Its medial edge follows the aryepiglottic fold; thyroid cartilage and the thyrohyoid membrane lie laterally. These channels carry swallowed material around the laryngeal entrance toward the esophagus.
Reference facts
- Boundaries
- Medial: aryepiglottic fold and adjacent arytenoid/cricoid region. Lateral: thyroid lamina and thyrohyoid membrane.
- Contents
- A mucosal channel with laryngeal nerve branches and vessels in adjacent deeper tissues.
- Communications
- Continuous with the hypopharyngeal lumen above and converging toward the esophageal entrance below.
Clinical correlation
Sharp food fragments can lodge here. Impaired laryngeal sensory input can increase aspiration risk, although it does not remove every cough or closure mechanism. The piriform recess is also an important hypopharyngeal cancer subsite.
Frequently asked questions
What are the boundaries of the piriform recess?
Medial: aryepiglottic fold and adjacent arytenoid/cricoid region. Lateral: thyroid lamina and thyrohyoid membrane.
What does the piriform recess contain?
A mucosal channel with laryngeal nerve branches and vessels in adjacent deeper tissues.
What does the piriform recess communicate with?
The piriform recess communicates with the continuous with the hypopharyngeal lumen above and converging toward the esophageal entrance below.