Throat July 7, 2023 by Throat Back of the throat normal anatomy - Uvula This is a smooth structure at the top of your throat that hangs from the palate. It helps to close your throat when you swallow. In most cases, this resembles a simple cone shape, although it sometimes can be swollen or can have two points to the tip, which is called a bifid uvula. Back of the throat benign change - Mucocele This is an example of a mucocele in the left upper tonsil. These lesions are benign and represent a collection of mucus trapped under the surface of the mouth or throat. Back of the throat benign tumor - Parapharyngeal tumor This picture is taken of the back of a person’s throat, where they have a large mass in the upper part of their neck pushing into their throat. You can see a bulge on the left side of the patient’s palate. Such tumors are usually painless but may result in a muffled-sounding voice or worsening snoring or swallowing. Back of the throat benign tumor - Pleomorphic adenoma The soft palate is the mobile area just behind the hard part of the roof of your mouth. This is a photo showing a right soft palate mass that presented as a slowly growing firm lump under the surface of the palate. Back of the throat cancer - Tonsil squamous cell carcinoma This picture shows a right tonsil cancer. Notice how the right side is larger than the left and has a sore on it. Back of the throat cancer - Tonsil squamous cell carcinoma 2 This is a photo taken looking inside the mouth of a patient who has a right sided tonsil cancer (on the left side of the viewer; Black arrow). Notice the grey/white color compared to the normal pink on the other side. Back of the throat cancer - Tonsil squamous cell carcinoma 3 This is a photo taken of a right tonsil cancer looking through the mouth. Notice that while the surface appears normal color, the right side (Black arrow) is bigger than the left. Back of the throat cancer - Tonsil squamous cell carcinoma 4 This is a photo taken of a small right tonsil cancer looking through the mouth (Black arrow).