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1. Introduction
The pharynx is a special structure in the human body. Pharynx is a conical passage connecting the oral cavity and nasal cavity to the junction of the esophagus and trachea. Besides, there is another passage, called Eustachian tube or pharyngotympanic tube, which links the nasopharynx to the middle ear and it allows air pressure in the middle ear cavity to be equalized. The pharynx moves food or water from the mouth to the esophagus and also moves air from the nasal and oral cavities to the larynx. Therefore, the pharynx plays an important role involved in both the respiratory and digestive systems. In other words, the pharynx is an incredibly dynamic rendezvous site of gas(air), liquid(water), and solid(food).
2. Functional pharynx affects human basic life
Although the pharynx is relatively small compared to other organ systems, a person’s basic life will be affected greatly without well functional pharynx. For example, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, the most common sleep-related breathing disorder, is characterized by repetitive collapse and closing of the pharynx during sleep. The most common cause of sleep apnea in children is enlarged tonsils and adenoids that block the airway and interrupt breathing during sleep. The recurrent episodes of apneas or hypopneas during sleep may interfere with restorative sleep in combination with disturbances in blood oxygenation. And these are possible negative consequences to health and quality of life. Upper airway image analysis may be helpful for these patients. Neck CT with computational fluid dynamics study is good for evaluating airway pressure and airflow velocity, especially on obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Besides, there are some disorders that can cause pharynx and larynx to not function properly, such as digestion, respiration, or phonation.
3. Pharyngeal cancer: one of the most challenging cancers
Cancer is undoubtedly an important issue of modern medicine. Cancer is a disease in which some of the body’s cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body. Cancer can start almost anywhere in the human body, which is made up of trillions of cells. Pharyngeal cancer includes cancer of the nasopharynx, the oropharynx, and the hypopharynx. The pharynx is a crossroad in the upper part of digestive and respiratory pathways and malignant appearance at this level leads to the impairment of vital functions, such as breathing, feeding, and speech. Therefore, we can advocate that pharyngeal cancer is one of the most challenging cancers regarding location, evolution, prognosis, and functional implications. Even if pharyngeal malignancies usually present high rate of mortality, the standard treatments for pharyngeal cancer include one or a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy with various results depending on the cancer stage.
4. Pharyngeal reconstruction: to restore a better life
The standard treatments for pharyngeal cancer include one or a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy with various results depending on the stage. The anatomic structure of the treated site is usually altered due to the treatment. The alteration causes adverse effects depending on the location of the primary tumor. With treatment development, a variety of surgical skills and reconstruction techniques can deliver an adequate quality of life for the patients. Pharyngeal reconstruction is a complex and difficult process that should perform a combined evaluation of the size, location of the defect, patient’s age and comorbid status, and the use of the simplest reconstruction with the highest level of function. Some authors of this book elaborated an algorithm with treatment choices for defects of the laryngopharynx, hypopharynx, and cervical esophagus. Anyway, it is important to restore a better life for patients.
5. Future perspectives in the field of pharynx
Based on these above concepts, the book incorporates updated developments as well as future perspectives in the ever-expanding field of pharynx. Besides, this book is also a great reference for otolaryngologists, pulmonologists, gastroenterologists, pediatricians, neurologists, rehabilitation physicians, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, specialists in sleep medicine, researchers in clinical and basic medicine, and experts in science and technology.