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Updated: May 16, 2026

Image Acquisition using Portable Sonography for Emergency Airway Management
Published on: September 28, 2022
Retropharyngeal and prevertebral spaces: anatomic imaging and diagnosis
J Matthew Debnam1, Nandita Guha-Thakurta
1Section of Neuroradiology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, The University of Texas, Houston, TX 77005, USA. matthew.debnam@mdanderson.org
Abstract:
Cross-sectional imaging plays an important role in the evaluation of the retropharyngeal space (RPS) and the prevertebral space (PVS). Because of their deep location within the neck, lesions arising within these spaces are difficult, if not impossible, to evaluate on clinical examination. This article details the cross-sectional anatomy and imaging appearances of primary and secondary diseases involving the RPS and PVS, including metastasis and spread from adjacent spaces. The role of image-guided biopsy is also discussed.
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