Lesions involving the prestyloid compartment of parapharyngeal space

Anatomical contents of prestyloid compartment of parapharyngeal space include:

1. Fat
2. Pterygoid venous plexus
3. Internal maxillary artery and its branches
4. Ascending pharyngeal artery
5. Branches of mandibular division of trigeminal nerve

The presence of fat in this compartment is clearly visualized in the axial CT scan images of this space. Obliteration of this fat plane indicates sinister lesions ? Malignancies.

Asymmetric pterygoid venous plexus can be visualized as mass lesion in coronal CT scan images. Hence this asymmetry is also known as pseudotumor.

Congenital lesions involving this space include the rare second branchial cleft cyst.

Inflammatory lesions involving this space:

1. Spreading infections from adjacent spaces: Pharyngeal mucosal space infections like pharyngitis, adenoiditis, tonsillitis, peritonsillar abscess and retromandibular venous thrombosis.
   Parotid space infections like parotid calculus, parotid abscess
   Massticator space infections commonly caused due to dental infections, 3^rd molar tooth extraction with violation of pterygomandibular raphae
2. Infections due to penetrating lesions of lateral pharyngeal wall

Benign lesions involving this space include:

1. Pleomorphic adenoma parotid gland
2. Lipoma
3. Schwannoma

Malignant tumors involving this space include:

1. Mucoepidermoid cancer of parotid
2. Adenoid cystic carcinoma parotid
3. Malignant mixed tumor of parotid
4. Metastatic lesions from kidney & prostate