Waldeyer's ring

Waldeyer's ring is a ring of lymphoid tissue located in the nasopharynx and oropharynx at the entrance to the aerodigestive tract.

Gross anatomy

The structures composing this ring are:

• palatine tonsils (also called the faucial tonsils)
• adenoid tonsils (nasopharyngeal tonsils)
• the lateral bands on the lateral walls of the oropharynx
• lingual tonsils at the base of the tongue

History and etymology

It is named after Heinrich Wilhelm Gottfried Waldeyer (1836-1921); although from 1916 until his death he became Wilhelm Gottfried von Waldeyer-Hartz following an elevation to a Prussian peerage; Hartz was his mother's maiden name. He was a celebrated German anatomist, physiologist and pathologist .