Waldeyer's lymphatic ring

• Waldeyer’s lymphatic ring is a collection of lymphoid tissue present in the neck (Waldeyer’s outer ring) and pharynx (Waldeyer’s inner ring /  Waldeyer’s tonsillar ring)
• It plays an important role in protection against pathogens
• It was named after the nineteenth century German anatomist Heinrich Wilhelm Gottfried von Waldeyer-Hartz.

Waldeyer’s inner ring

• It is located in the nasopharynx and oropharynx
• The components are:
  • Adenoids (nasopharyngeal tonsil)
  • Tubal tonsil
  • Palatine tonsil
  • Lingual tonsil
• It helps protect the body against inhaled and ingested pathogens

Waldeyer’s outer ring

• It is composed of various lymph nodes in the neck – mostly cervical lymph nodes
• The component lymph nodes are:
  • Occipital
  • Post auricular
  • Pre auricular
  • Parotid
  • Facial (superficial – upper, middle, lower; deep)
  • Submandibular
  • Submental
  • Superficial cervical
  • Anterior cervical