Pharyngeal Constrictor Gap — MFDS Part 1 MCQ
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Correct answer: A — Stylopharyngeus muscle and glossopharyngeal nerve
The stylopharyngeus descends into the pharyngeal wall through the interval between the superior and middle constrictors, accompanied by the glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX), which supplies it. The nearby constrictor intervals are useful discriminators: the pharyngotympanic tube and levator veli palatini enter above the superior constrictor, whereas the internal laryngeal nerve and superior laryngeal vessels pass between the middle and inferior constrictors. The recurrent laryngeal nerve approaches the larynx below the inferior constrictor. The hypoglossal nerve and lingual vein are related to the hyoglossus and floor of the mouth rather than to a gap between the pharyngeal constrictors. Therefore, A is the single best answer.
Reference: Saigusa H, Yamashita K, Saigusa M, Niimi S. Nerve fiber analysis of the lingual branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve in human adult subjects. Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy. 2021;43:243–250. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19479181/