The common iliac lymph nodes, four to six in number, are grouped behind and on the sides of the

common iliac artery The common iliac artery is a large artery of the abdomen paired on each side. It originates from the aortic bifurcation at the level of the 4th lumbar vertebra. It ends in front of the sacroiliac joint, one on either side, and each bifurcates i ...

, one or two being placed below the bifurcation of the aorta, in front of the fifth

lumbar vertebra The lumbar vertebrae are, in human anatomy, the five vertebrae between the rib cage and the pelvis. They are the largest segments of the vertebral column and are characterized by the absence of the foramen transversarium within the transverse p ...

. They drain chiefly the hypogastric and

external iliac glands The external iliac lymph nodes are lymph nodes, from eight to ten in number, that lie along the external iliac vessels. They are arranged in three groups, one on the lateral, another on the medial, and a third on the anterior aspect of the vessel ...

, and their efferents pass to the

lateral aortic glands The periaortic lymph nodes (also known as lumbar) are a group of lymph nodes that lie in front of the lumbar vertebrae near the aorta. These lymph nodes receive drainage from the gastrointestinal tract and the abdominal organs. The periaortic ly ...

References

Lymphatics of the torso {{Portal bar, Anatomy