The vascular territories of the superior epigastric and the deep inferior epigastric systems

The vascular territories of the superior and the deep inferior epigastric arteries were investigated by dye injection, dissection, and barium radiographic studies. By these means it was established that the deep inferior epigastric artery was more significant than the superior epigastric artery in supplying the skin of the anterior abdominal wall. Segmental branches of the deep epigastric system pass upward and outward into the neurovascular plane of the lateral abdominal wall, where they anastomose with the terminal branches of the lower six intercostal arteries and the ascending branch of the deep circumflex iliac artery. The anastomoses consist of multiple narrow "choke" vessels. Similar connections are seen between the superior and the deep inferior epigastric arteries within the rectus abdominis muscle well above the level of the umbilicus. Many perforating arteries emerge through the anterior rectus sheath, but the highest concentration of major perforators is in the paraumbilical area. These vessels are terminal branches of the deep inferior epigastric artery. They feed into a subcutaneous vascular network that radiates from the umbilicus like the spokes of a wheel. Once again, choke connections exist with adjacent territories: inferiorly with the superficial inferior epigastric artery, inferolaterally with the superficial circumflex iliac artery, and superiorly with the superficial superior epigastric artery. The dominant connections, however, are superolaterally with the lateral cutaneous branches of the intercostal arteries. For breast reconstruction, it would appear that prior ligation of the deep inferior epigastric artery would be of advantage when elevating the lower abdominal skin on a superiorly based rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap. The vascularity of this flap would be further increased by positioning some part of the skin paddle over the dense pack of large paraumbilical perforators. Based on these anatomic studies, the relative merits of the superior and deep inferior epigastric arteries with respect to local and distant tissue transfer using various elements of the abdominal wall are discussed in detail.     

The superior laryngeal nerve and the superior laryngeal artery

Length, diameter and anastomoses of the nervus vagus and its ganglion inferius were measured 44 halved heads. On the average, 8.65 fiber bundles of the vagus nerve leave the retro-olivary area. In the area of the jugular foramen is the near superior ganglion of the 10th cranial nerve. In this area were found 1.48 (mean value) anastomoses with the 9th cranial nerve. 11.34 mm below the margo terminalis sigmoidea branches off the ramus internus of the accessory nerve which has a length of 9.75 mm. Further anastomoses with the 10th cranial nerve were found. The inferior ganglion of the 10th nerve had a length of 25.47 mm and a diameter of 3.46 mm. Five mm below the ganglion the 10th nerve had a width of 2.9 and a thickness of 1.5 mm. The mean length of the superior sympathetic ganglion was 26.6 mm, its width 7.2 and its thickness 3.4 mm. In nearly all specimens anastomoses of the superior sympathetic ganglion with the ansa cervicalis profunda and the inferior ganglion of the 10th cranial nerve were found. The superior laryngeal nerve branches off about 36 mm below the margo terminalis sigmoidea. The width of this nerve was 1.9 mm, its thickness 0.8 mm on the right and 1.0 mm on the left side. The division in the internal and external rami was found about 21 mm below its origin. Between the n. vagus and thyreohyoid membrane the ramus internus had a length of 64 mm, the length of external ramus between the vagal nerve and the inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle was 89 mm. Its mean length below the thyreopharyngeal part was 10.7 mm, 8.6 branchlets to the cricothyroid muscle were counted. The superior laryngeal artery had its origin in 80% of cases in the superior thyroideal artery, in 6.8% this vessel was a branch of the external carotid artery. Its average outer diameter was 1.23 mm on the right side and 1.39 mm on the left. The length of this vessel between its origin and the thyreohyoid membrane was 34 mm. In 7% on the right side and in 13% on the left, the superior laryngeal artery reached the larynx through a foramen thyreoideum. Ranges of diameters and lengths of vessels and nerves in the larynx are given.     

External laryngeal muscles--origin, insertion, length and potential force

Measurements have been given of the mm. cricothyreoideus, thyreohyoideus and inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle. Also measured were the circumferences of these muscles for estimating their potential force. The course of the superior laryngeal nerve, external branch to the thyreopharyngeal muscle and the twigs of the nerve were examined.     

The Distribution of TRPV1 and TRPV2 in the Rat Pharynx

Immunohistochemistry for two nociceptive transducers, the transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V members 1 (TRPV1) and 2 (TRPV2), was performed on the pharynx and its adjacent regions. TRPV1-immunoreactivity (IR) was detected in nerve fibers beneath and within the epithelium and/or taste bud-like structure. In the pharynx, these nerve fibers were abundant in the naso-oral part and at the border region of naso-oral and laryngeal parts. They were also numerous on the laryngeal side of the epiglottis and in the soft palate. TRPV2-IR was expressed by dendritic cells in the pharynx and epiglottis, as well as in the root of the tongue and soft palate. These cells were located in the epithelium and lamina propria. TRPV2-immunoreactive (IR) dendritic cells were numerous in the naso-oral part of the pharynx, epiglottis, and tongue. Abundance of TRPV2-IR dendritic processes usually obscured the presence of TRPV2-IR nerve fibers in these portions. However, some TRPV2-IR nerve fibers could be observed in the epithelium of the soft palate. Retrograde tracing method also revealed that sensory neurons which innervate the pharynx or soft palate were abundant in the jugular–petrosal ganglion complex and relatively rare in the nodose ganglion. In the jugular–petrosal ganglion complex, TRPV1- and TRPV2-IR were expressed by one-third of pharyngeal and soft palate neurons. TRPV2-IR was also detected in 11.5 % pharyngeal and 30.9 % soft palate neurons in the complex. Coexpression of TRPV1 and CGRP was frequent among pharyngeal and soft palate neurons. The present study suggests that TRPV1- and TRPV2-IR jugular–petrosal neurons may be associated with the regulation of the swallowing reflex.     

Features of the development of the arteries of the human liver and their practical significance

By means of roentgenography and preparation methods 145 specimens of the hepatic arteries filled with roentgenopaque latex have been studied. An essential individual changeability is peculiar for the celiac trunk structure and for formation of the hepatic arteries. A "typical" structure of the celiac trunk is observed in 66%. In other cases either "noncompleteness" of the celiac trunk, or increasing number of the branches up to 4-6 are observed. As a rule, the common hepatic artery gets of the celiac trunk (93%), but sometimes it can take its origin from the aorta, the superior mesenteric artery and some other sources (7%). The hepatic artery proper only in 73% divides into the right and left branches, in other observations the latter have their independent formation. It is necessary to distinguish the independent separation of the right and left lobar hepatic arteries from some sources and presence of additional arteries. The additional arteries are the branches that are formed from any arteries when there is present the hepatic artery proper, or substituting it independent right and left branches. The additional arteries appear from the left gastric, superior mesenteric, gastro-duodenal arteries, from the aorta, the right renal artery and other sources. The peculiarities of formation of the hepatic arteries discussed can be used in clinical practice and can make the terminology more precise.     

The stomatogastric nervous system of the house cricket Acheta domesticus L. I. The anatomy of the system and the innervation of the gut

The distribution of the ganglia and nerves of the stomatogastric nervous system and the innervation of the extrinsic and intrinsic muscles are described. Median unpaired frontal and hypocerebral ganglia and paired ingluvial ganglia are present. The anterior pharynx is innervated by branches of the frontal nerve and by the anterior and posterior pharyngeal nerves, originating from the frontal ganglion. The posterior pharyngeal nerves are linked to nerves innervating the posterior part of the pharynx which have their origin in the hypocerebral ganglion, the anterior portion of which has previously been regarded as part of the recurrent nerve. Paired esophageal nerves run the length of the esophagus and crop between the hypocerebral and and ingluvial ganglia, innervating the muscularis by serial side branches. From each ingluvial ganglion runs an ingluvial nerve which innervates the gizzard and a cecal nerve which innervates the midgut and its ceca. At the posterior end of the midgut there is a poorly developed nerve ring. Nerves running posteriorly from this nerve ring link the stomatogastric nervous system with the proctodeal innervation from the terminal abdominal ganglion. Multipolar peripheral neurons are present on the muscularis of the whole of the foregut, rather randomly distributed on the crop and gizzard but forming fairly definite groupings at some points on the pharynx. Though of varied appearance, these cells could not be divided into discrete morphological categories. Peripheral neurons on the midgut are of different and characteristic morphology, though a few cells of the same appearance as those of the foregut occur at the midgut-hindgut boundary. Nerve fibers on the gut almost invariably terminate on the fibers of the muscularis.     

Pharyngeal branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve plays a major role in reflex swallowing from the pharynx

Mechanical stimulation of the pharyngeal areas readily elicits reflex swallowing. However, it is much more difficult for electrical stimulation of the glossopharyngeal nerve (GPN) to evoke reflex swallowing than it is for stimulation of the superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) to do so. These paradoxical findings remain unexplained; hence, the main purpose of this study was to explain this contradiction by using a urethane-anesthetized rat. Mechanical stimulation easily elicited reflex swallowing from the pharynx. The posterior pillars, posterior pharyngeal wall, and the soft palate of the rat were extremely reflexogenic areas for swallowing. Sectioning the pharyngeal branch of the GPN (GPN-ph), however, eliminated the swallowing reflex from these areas. In contrast, sectioning the lingual branch of the GPN had no effect on the elicitation of swallowing. Electrical stimulation of the GPN-ph and SLN elicited sequentially occurring swallows. The relationship between stimulus frequency and the latency of swallowing for the GPN-ph was approximately the same as that for the SLN. These results indicate that the GPN-ph plays a major role in the initiation of reflex swallowing from the pharynx in rats.     

The Distribution of Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin-8 in the Rat Soft Palate, Epiglottis, and Pharynx

Immunohistochemistry for transient receptor potential melastatin-8 (TRPM8), the cold and menthol receptor, was performed on the rat soft palate, epiglottis and pharynx. TRPM8-immunoreactive (IR) nerve fibers were located beneath the mucous epithelium, and occasionally penetrated the epithelium. These nerve fibers were abundant in the posterior portion of the soft palate and at the border region of naso-oral and laryngeal parts of the pharynx. The epiglottis was free from such nerve fibers. The double immunofluorescence method demonstrated that TRPM8-IR nerve fibers in the pharynx and soft palate were mostly devoid of calcitonin gene-related peptide-immunoreactivity (CGRP-IR). The retrograde tracing method also demonstrated that 30.1 and 8.7 % of sensory neurons in the jugular and petrosal ganglia innervating the pharynx contained TRPM8-IR, respectively. Among these neurons, the co-expression of TRPM8 and CGRP-IR was very rare. In the nodose ganglion, however, pharyngeal neurons were devoid of TRPM8-IR. Taste bud-like structures in the soft palate and pharynx contained 4–9 TRPM8-IR cells. In the epiglottis, the mucous epithelium on the laryngeal side had numerous TRPM8-IR cells. The present study suggests that TRPM8 can respond to cold stimulation when food and drinks pass through oral and pharyngeal cavities.     

Arterial segmentation and subsegmentation in the human spleen

The segmental nature of the arterial tree of the human spleen was analyzed in 181 subjects of both sexes, who had died of various accidental causes. Based on the observation of the pattern of the terminal and polar splenic branches, selective arteriographs and corrosion casts, and taking account of the ideas reported in the literature, we proposed that the spleen is divided in arterial segments and subsegments. Segments are the territories corresponding to both the primary branches of the splenic artery (primary segments) and the polar arteries (polar segments). In 92.82% of the cases there are two primary segments and in 7.18% three primary segments. Associated to these, in 29.28% there is a superior polar segment, in 44.75% an inferior polar segment, and in 10.49% both superior and inferior polar segments are present. Thus, the number of segments varies from two to five. Occasionally, two or three inferior polar segments can be present. Subsegments are the territories corresponding to the extrasplenic subdivisions of the primary branches and the polar arteries. According to the number of arterial subdivisions, the subsegments can be of second, third, fourth, fifth or sixth order. The last branches of the splenic artery (penetrating arteries) are all subsegmentary in nature and supply hilar or polar subsegments. Anastomoses between extrasplenic branches of the splenic artery were observed in 19.89% of the cases. Sometimes, thin anastomotic bridges could be observed between arterial splenic compartments.     

Microvasculature of the thyroid gland in the common tree shrew (Tupaia glis): microvascular corrosion cast/scanning electron microscopy study.

A thyroid vascular cast of the common tree shrew (Tupaia glis) was obtained by injection of Batson's No. 17 plastic mixture into the ascending aorta. The cast was studied under the scanning electron microscope. It was found that each half of the gland is supplied by a large superior and a rather small inferior thyroid artery. After plunging into the gland, the arteries divide into smaller branches that are the interlobular, intralobular and follicular arteries (afferent vessels). The basket-like capillaries arising from the follicular arteries and encapsulating thyroid follicles are of large diameter and are arranged in a single layer. The follicular side of the capillary casts was observed to contain numerous small and some large projecting knobs compatible with the presence of fenestrations in the endothelial cells. On the other hand, endothelial nuclear imprints were found mainly on the stromal surface of the follicular capillary casts. Transfollicular capillaries connecting the adjacent follicular capillary networks were also observed. Blood from the follicular capillaries either drains into the follicular veins (efferent vessels) or abruptly drains into the intralobular veins before proceeding to intralobular and interlobular veins, respectively. The interlobular veins are collected into a few small superior, a few larger middle and a few even larger inferior thyroid veins. These veins drain directly into the laryngeal vein lying adjacent to the deep surface of the thyroid gland before joining the jugular vein. Venous valves were identified outside the thyroid gland. In addition, the glomerular capillary island of the parathyroid gland was often seen at the cranioanterolateral and sometimes at the cranioposterolateral aspect of the thyroid gland.     

Effects of prostaglandins E1 and E2 on activity in laryngeal and pharyngeal afferent fibers.

Prostaglandins (PG) E1 and E2 were applied topically to the receptive fields of feline laryngeal and pharyngeal sensory receptors, while action potentials were recorded from single - or few-fiber preparations of the superior laryngeal nerve. When initially dissolved in ethanol, PGs stimulated these sensory receptors. If ethanol was not used as a solvent for the PGs they did not stimulate the sensory receptors. Similarly, local application of dilute (0.025%, v/v) solutions of ethanol alone excited the receptors, whereas phosphate buffer alone did not. Thus PGE1 and PGE2 do not themselves stimulate sensory receptors in the larynx and pharynx. These findings suggest that irritant properties of PGEs on upper airways are attributable to the ethanol used as a solvent.     

Nitric oxide modulates elicitation of reflex swallowing from the pharynx in rats

The pharynx is very important for elicitation of reflex swallowing. The region of the pharynx is innervated by the pharyngeal branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve (GPN-ph). Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in various physiological functions. The purpose of this study is to investigate the contribution of NO to reflex swallowing evoked by electrical stimulation of the GPN-ph. Swallowing was evoked in urethane-anesthetized rats by application of repetitive electrical stimulation (10- to 20-microA amplitude, 10- to 20-Hz frequency, 1.0-ms duration) to the central cut end of the GPN-ph or superior laryngeal nerve. Swallowing was identified by electromyographic activity of the mylohyoid muscle. Latency to the first swallow and the interval between swallows were measured. Intravenous administration of N(G)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA, 0.6 mg/kg), a nonselective inhibitor of NO synthase (NOS), extremely prolonged latency to the first swallow and the interval between swallows evoked by the GPN-ph. Intraperitoneal administration of 7-nitroindazole (5.0 mg/kg), a selective inhibitor of neuronal NOS, significantly prolonged latency to the first swallow and the interval between swallows evoked by the GPN-ph. Administration of L-arginine (an NO donor, 500 mg/kg) and sodium nitroprusside (an NO releaser, 0.6 mg/kg) restored the suppression of swallowing induced by the NOS inhibitor. Superior laryngeal nerve-evoked swallowing was suppressed by administration of a higher dose of L-NNA (6.0 mg/kg). Swallowing evoked by water stimulation of the pharynx was also suppressed by L-NNA (0.6 mg/kg). These results suggest that NO plays an important role in signal processing for initiation of reflex swallowing from the pharynx.     

Development of the supralaryngeal vocal tract in Japanese macaques: implications for the evolution of the descent of the larynx

The configuration of the supralaryngeal vocal tract depends on the nonuniform growth of the oral and pharyngeal portion. The human pharynx develops to form a unique configuration, with the epiglottis losing contact with the velum. This configuration develops from the great descent of the larynx relative to the palate, which is accomplished through both the descent of the laryngeal skeleton relative to the hyoid and the descent of the hyoid relative to the palate. Chimpanzees show both processes of laryngeal descent, as in humans, but the evolutionary path before the divergence of the human and chimpanzee lineages is unclear. The development of laryngeal descent in six living Japanese macaque monkeys, Macaca fuscata, was examined monthly during the first three years of life using magnetic resonance imaging, to delineate the present or absence of these two processes and their contributions to the development of the pharyngeal topology. The macaque shows descent of the hyoid relative to the palate, but lacks the descent of the laryngeal skeleton relative to the hyoid and that of the EG from the VL. We argue that the former descent is simply a morphological consequence of mandibular growth and that the latter pair of descents arose in a common ancestor of extant hominoids. Thus, the evolutionary path of the great descent of the larynx is likely to be explained by a model comprising multiple and mosaic evolutionary pathways, wherein these developmental phenomena may have contributed secondarily to the faculty of speech in the human lineage.     

Blood supply of the human cervical sympathetic chain and ganglia

OBJECTIVE: Cadaveric studies of the blood supply to the human cervical sympathetic chain and ganglia are lacking in the English literature. This study seeks to elucidate the gross blood supply of the cervical sympathetic chain so as to avoid surgical disruption of these vessels and thus decrease the risk of vascular insufficieny and subsequent dysfunction of thoracolumbar autonomic outflow to the head and neck. METHODS: Twelve (24 sides) human cadavers (8 male and 4 female) were dissected and their brachiocephalic veins, internal carotid arteries, and vertebral arteries cannulated. Red and blue latex was injected into the arteries and veins respectively. Dissection of the neck was carefully performed and the blood supply of the cervical sympathetic chain identified. RESULTS: The primary arterial supply to the sympathetic chain and ganglia were from superior to inferior the ascending pharyngeal, ascending cervical, thyrocervical trunk, and supreme intercostal arteries. The primary venous drainage of these structures was primarily by direct posterior branches into the internal jugular vein. In addition, we have found an area at the junction of the lower two-thirds and upper one-third of the neck, which is deficient in blood supply (both arterial and venous). CONCLUSIONS: Although sympathetic injury is a rare consequence of cervical operations, the current data should be useful to the surgeon who operates in the cervical region so as to avoid potential complications from disruption of the primary blood supply of the cervical sympathetic chain and ganglia. Also, future techniques of selective iatrogenic disruption of the blood supply to portions of these structures e.g. stellate ganglion may be helpful in treating entities such as hyperhydrosis.     

Cell architecture: surrounding muscle cells shape gland cell morphology in the Caenorhabditis elegans pharynx

The acquisition and maintenance of shape is critical for the normal function of most cells. Here we investigate the morphology of the pharyngeal glands of Caenorhabditis elegans. These unicellular glands have long cellular processes that extend discrete lengths through the pharyngeal musculature and terminate at ducts connected to the pharyngeal lumen. From a genetic screen we identified several mutants that affect pharyngeal gland morphology. The most severe such mutant is an allele of sma-1, which encodes a β-spectrin required for embryonic elongation, including elongation of the pharynx. In sma-1 mutants, gland projections form normally but become increasingly abnormal over time, acquiring additional branches, outgrowths, and swelling, suggestive of hypertrophy. Rather than acting in pharyngeal glands, sma-1 functions in the surrounding musculature, suggesting that pharyngeal muscles play a critical role in maintenance of gland morphology by restricting their growth, and analysis of other mutants known to affect pharyngeal muscles supports this hypothesis. We suggest that gland morphology is maintained by a balance of forces from the muscles and the glands.     

Surgical anatomy of the abdominal part of the thoracic duct

With the aim to determine local orienting points, that facilitate in searching the abdominal part of the thoracic duct, 43 corpses of mature persons have been investigated by means of a complex of anatomical techniques. The distance between the levels, where the superior mesenteric artery and renal arteries get off, can be used for preventing possible complications at certain surgical manipulations. In particular, when the distance from the beginning of the superior mesenteric artery is 37-64 mm, the thoracic duct is mainly situated behind the inferior vena cava; when this distance is 16-34 mm, the duct is situated between the inferior vena cava and the aorta, and when the distance between the superior mesenteric and renal arteries is 6-15 mm, the abdominal part of the thoracic duct should be searched for behind the inferior vena cava.     

Effects of prostaglandins E1 and E2 on activity in laryngeal and pharyngeal afferent fibers

Prostaglandins (PG) E₁ and E₂ were applied topically to the receptive fields of feline laryngeal and pharyngeal sensory receptors, while action potentials were recorded from single - or few-fiber preparations of the superior laryngeal nerve. When initially dissolved in ethanol, PGs stimulated these sensory receptors. If ethanol was not used as a solvent for the PGs, they did not stimulate the sensory receptors. Similarly, local application of dilute (0.025%, v/v) solutions of ethanol alone excited the receptors, whereas phosphate buffer alone did not. Thus PGE₁ and PGE₂ do not themselves stimulate sensory receptors in the larynx and pharynx. These findings suggest that irritant properties of PGEs on upper airways are attributable to the ethanol used as a solvent.     

Effects of cricothyroid muscle contraction on upper airway flow dynamics in dogs.

We studied the effects of cricothyroid muscle (CT) contraction on upper airway flow dynamics in eight prone open-mouth anesthetized dogs. Animals were mechanically ventilated via a tracheostomy while a constant airflow (Vuaw) passed through the isolated upper airway. Nasal airflow (Vn) was monitored using a nasal mask and pneumotachograph. Bilateral CT contraction was induced by electrical stimulation of the external branches of the superior laryngeal nerves. During CT contraction with Vuaw of 100-443 ml/s in the inspiratory direction, total upper airway resistance (Ruaw) fell by 49.1 +/- 5.4% (SE) while supraglottic resistance fell by 63.6 +/- 3.6%; simultaneously Vn fell by 55.3 +/- 3.8% and Vuaw increased by 7.2 +/- 1.7%. Similar results were obtained when Vuaw was in the expiratory direction. In three dogs in which the attachments of the CT to either the thyroid or cricoid cartilage were severed, superior laryngeal nerve stimulation had no systematic effect on Ruaw. Because visual assessment during CT contraction consistently revealed dilation of the piriform recesses, we suggest that CT contraction is associated with pharyngeal dilation, which in open-mouth dogs (with overlapping soft palate and epiglottis) redistributes flow to the oral route with a net reduction in Ruaw. Thus the CT may have a respiratory role as a pharyngeal dilator.     

Morphology of the pharyngeal cavity, especially the surface ultrastructure of gill arches and gill rakers in relation to the feeding ecology of the catfish Rita rita (Siluriformes, Bagridae)

Gill arches and the gill rakers of a sluggish, carnivorous catfish, Rita rita, show significant differences of their surface ultrastructure, which are recognized adaptive modifications in relation to food and feeding ecology of fish. Gill rakers on the first and second pairs of gill arches are borne on the oral side and are long and stout at the epi-ceratobranchial union. Gill rakers on the third and fourth pairs of gill arches, in contrast, are borne on the oral and aboral sides and are relatively delicate and short. Long and stout gill rakers on the first and second pairs of gill arches are considered primarily to prevent entry of undesirably large food items into the pharynx. Two types of taste buds, Type I and Type II, occur on the gill arches and the gill rakers. The raised taste buds, located at the apical ends of the gill rakers on the third, fourth, and the fifth pairs of gill arches could increase gustatory efficiency in the pharynx. Differences in the distribution of taste buds on the pharyngeal sides of different gill arches indicate that the posterior part of the pharynx plays a more crucial role in gustation than does the anterior part. Co-occurrence of teeth and taste buds on the epi- and hypopharyngeal bones denotes that food processing and gustation occur simultaneously in the pharynx. Villiform and caniform teeth on the epi- and hypopharyngeal bones are associated with a complex food-processing cycle. Mucous secretions, oozing through mucous cell openings, provide lubrication facilitating smooth passage of food through the pharynx. The angle of curvature at the epi-ceratobranchial union of the first to fourth pairs of gill arches could assist the ventral drag of ceratobranchials in lowering of the pharyngeal floor, thus resulting in a great expansion of the pharynx, as needed to accommodate the large quantities of food captured.     

Composition and abundance of microbiota in the pharynx in patients with laryngeal carcinoma and vocal cord polyps

The pharynx is an important site of microbiota colonization, but the bacterial populations at this site have been relatively unexplored by culture-independent approaches. The aim of this study was to characterize the microbiota structure of the pharynx. Pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene libraries was used to characterize the pharyngeal microbiota using swab samples from 68 subjects with laryngeal cancer and 28 subjects with vocal cord polyps. Overall, the major phylum was Firmicutes, with Streptococcus as the predominant genus in the pharyngeal communities. Nine core operational taxonomic units detected from Streptococcus, Fusobacterium, Prevotella, Granulicatella, and Veillonella accounted for 21.3% of the total sequences detected. However, there was no difference in bacterial communities in the pharynx from patients with laryngeal cancer and vocal cord polyps. The relative abundance of Firmicutes was inversely correlated with Fusobacteria, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. The correlation was evident at the genus level, and the relative abundance of Streptococcus was inversely associated with Fusobacterium, Leptotrichia, Neisseria, Actinomyces, and Prevotella. This study presented a profile for the overall structure of the microbiota in pharyngeal swab samples. Inverse correlations were found between Streptococcus and other bacterial communities, suggesting that potential antagonism may exist among pharyngeal microbiota.