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Medical Definition of Retropharyngeal space
1. That part of the peripharyngeal spatium located posterior to the pharynx. In the normal adult it measures 4 mm (at C3 level), but is considered abnormal when greater than 7 mm. Can be icreased with a cervical spine fracture, retropharyngeal abscess. Synonym: spatium retropharyngeum, postpharyngeal space. (21 Jun 2000)