The pharynx is a muscular tube that connects the nasal cavity to the larynx and esophagus. It extends from the skull base to the level of C4 in the neck. The pharynx is lined by different types of epithelium depending on the region. Diseases of the pharynx can be neoplastic (malignant or benign) or non-neoplastic. Some non-neoplastic diseases include congenital anomalies such as Thornwaldt cysts, which are midline nasopharyngeal cysts that arise from obstruction of the Thornwaldt bursa at the junction of remnants of the notochord and pharyngeal ectoderm.