The retropharyngeal lymph nodes, from one to three in number, lie in the buccopharyngeal fascia, behind the upper part of the pharynx and in front of the arch of the atlas, being separated, however, from the latter by the longus capitis.

Their afferents drain the nasal cavities, the nasal part of the pharynx, and the auditory tubes.

Their efferents pass to the superior deep cervical lymph nodes.

[2] (This is why retropharyngeal abscess is rare in older children.)

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 694 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)