Pyriform sinus

Last revised by Craig Hacking on 21 Feb 2024

The pyriform sinus (also spelled piriform sinus and also known as the pyriform recesspyriform fossa, and smuggler's fossa) is the pear-shaped subsite of the hypopharynx located posterolaterally to either side of the laryngeal opening.

The structure is a depression bounded

Beneath the mucous membrane of the anterior wall runs the internal laryngeal nerve, a branch of the superior laryngeal nerve.

The term is derived from the Latin term 'pirum' meaning a 'pear' and '-form', meaning having the form of a pear.

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