Third Tonsil (Noun)
Meaning
A collection of lymphatic tissue in the throat behind the uvula (on the posterior wall and roof of the nasopharynx); "hypertrophy of the pharyngeal tonsils is called adenoids"; "enlarged adenoids may restrict the breathing of children".
Classification
Nouns denoting body parts.
Examples
- The presence of the third tonsil is a characteristic that distinguishes it from the first two.
- Third tonsils, which can cause trouble with speech, have a rich supply of lymphatic tissue that resembles a bursa-like formation.
- It's located near the soft palate, in close proximity to the eustachian tube.
- Tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy might sometimes involve removal of this mass.
- Swelling of this tonsil could affect not only oropharyngeal structures but also structures beyond that location, specifically structures related to nasopharyngeal spaces or higher structures related to neurocranial elements