List of lymphatic vessels of the human body
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Humans have approximately 500–600 lymph nodes distributed throughout the body, with clusters found in the underarms, groin, neck, chest, and abdomen.


Lymph nodes of the head

*
Occipital lymph nodes The occipital lymph nodes, one to three in number, are located on the back of the head close to the margin of the trapezius and resting on the insertion of the . Their afferent vessels drain the occipital region of the scalp, while their efferents ...
* Mastoid lymph nodes *
Parotid lymph nodes Parotid lymph nodes are lymph nodes found near the parotid gland The parotid gland is a major salivary gland in many animals. In humans, the two parotid glands are present on either side of the mouth and in front of both ears. They are the larg ...


Lymph nodes of the neck

*
Cervical lymph nodes Cervical lymph nodes are lymph nodes found in the neck. Of the 800 lymph nodes in the human body, 300 are in the neck. Cervical lymph nodes are subject to a number of different pathological conditions including tumours, infection and inflammati ...
**
Submental lymph nodes The submental glands (or suprahyoid) are situated between the anterior bellies of the digastric muscle and the hyoid bone. Their '' afferents'' drain the central portions of the lower lip and floor of the mouth and the apex of the tongue. Their ...
**
Submandibular lymph nodes The submandibular lymph nodes (submaxillary glands in older texts), three to six in number, are lymph nodes beneath the body of the mandible in the submandibular triangle, and rest on the superficial surface of the submandibular gland. One gland, ...
*
Deep cervical lymph nodes The deep cervical lymph nodes are a group of cervical lymph nodes found near the internal jugular vein in the neck. Structure The deep cervical lymph nodes can be divided into upper and lower groups, or superior and inferior groups. Alternati ...
**
Deep anterior cervical lymph nodes The deep anterior cervical lymph nodes are found near the middle cricothyroid ligament and the trachea The trachea, also known as the windpipe, is a cartilaginous tube that connects the larynx to the bronchi of the lungs, allowing the passag ...
**
Deep lateral cervical lymph nodes The deep lateral cervical lymph nodes are found near the upper part of the internal jugular vein in the neck, lateral or posterior to the carotid sheath The carotid sheath is an anatomical term for the fibrous connective tissue that surrounds the ...
*
Inferior deep cervical lymph nodes The inferior deep cervical lymph nodes extend beyond the posterior margin of the sternocleidomastoid muscle into the subclavian triangle, where they are closely related to the brachial plexus and subclavian vein The subclavian vein is a paired l ...
** Jugulo-omohyoid lymph node ** Jugulodigastric lymph node *
Supraclavicular lymph nodes Supraclavicular lymph nodes are lymph nodes found above the clavicle, that can be felt in the supraclavicular fossa. The supraclavicular lymph nodes on the left side are called Virchow's nodes.Virchow's node


Lymph nodes of the thorax

* Lymph nodes of the lungs: The lymph is drained from the lung tissue through subsegmental, segmental, lobar and interlobar lymph nodes to the hilar lymph nodes, which are located around the hilum (the pedicle, which attaches the lung to the mediastinal structures, containing the
pulmonary artery A pulmonary artery is an artery in the pulmonary circulation that carries deoxygenated blood from the right side of the heart to the lungs. The largest pulmonary artery is the ''main pulmonary artery'' or ''pulmonary trunk'' from the heart, and ...
, the pulmonary veins, the main
bronchus A bronchus is a passage or airway in the lower respiratory tract that conducts air into the lungs. The first or primary bronchi pronounced (BRAN-KAI) to branch from the trachea at the carina are the right main bronchus and the left main bronchu ...
for each side, some vegetative nerves and the lymphatics) of each lung. The lymph flows subsequently to the mediastinal lymph nodes. * Mediastinal lymph nodes: They consist of several lymph node groups, especially along the
trachea The trachea, also known as the windpipe, is a cartilaginous tube that connects the larynx to the bronchi of the lungs, allowing the passage of air, and so is present in almost all air- breathing animals with lungs. The trachea extends from the ...
(5 groups), along the
esophagus The esophagus ( American English) or oesophagus (British English; both ), non-technically known also as the food pipe or gullet, is an organ in vertebrates through which food passes, aided by peristaltic contractions, from the pharynx to ...
and between the lung and the diaphragm. In the mediastinal lymph nodes arises lymphatic ducts, which drains the lymph to the left subclavian
vein Veins are blood vessels in humans and most other animals that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are the pulmonary and umbilical veins, both of which carry oxygenat ...
(to the venous angle in the confluence of the subclavian and deep jugular veins). The mediastinal lymph nodes along the esophagus are in tight connection with the abdominal lymph nodes along the esophagus and the
stomach The stomach is a muscular, hollow organ in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and many other animals, including several invertebrates. The stomach has a dilated structure and functions as a vital organ in the digestive system. The stomach i ...
. That fact facilitates spreading of tumor cells through these lymphatics in cases of cancers of the stomach and particularly of the esophagus. Through the mediastinum, the main lymphatic drainage from the abdominal organs goes via the
thoracic duct In human anatomy, the thoracic duct is the larger of the two lymph ducts of the lymphatic system. It is also known as the ''left lymphatic duct'', ''alimentary duct'', ''chyliferous duct'', and ''Van Hoorne's canal''. The other duct is the righ ...
(''ductus thoracicus''), which drains majority of the lymph from the abdomen to the above mentioned left venous angle.


Lymph nodes of the abdomen

These include: * Periaortic lymph nodes ** Preaortic lymph nodes ***
Celiac lymph nodes The celiac lymph nodes are associated with the branches of the celiac artery. Other lymph nodes in the abdomen are associated with the superior and inferior mesenteric arteries. The celiac lymph nodes are grouped into three sets: the gastric ...
****
Hepatic lymph nodes The hepatic lymph nodes consist of the following groups: * (a) hepatic, on the stem of the hepatic artery, and extending upward along the common bile duct, between the two layers of the lesser omentum, as far as the porta hepatis; the cystic gla ...
**** Gastric lymph nodes **** Splenic lymph nodes *** Superior mesenteric lymph nodes ***
Inferior mesenteric lymph nodes The inferior mesenteric lymph nodes consist of: * (a) small glands on the branches of the left colic and sigmoid arteries * (b) a group in the sigmoid mesocolon, around the superior hemorrhoidal artery * (c) a pararectal group in contact with ...
** Retroaortic lymph nodes Nodes around the iliac vessels are: *
Common iliac lymph nodes The common iliac lymph nodes, four to six in number, are grouped behind and on the sides of the common iliac artery, one or two being placed below the bifurcation of the aorta, in front of the fifth lumbar vertebra. They drain chiefly the hyp ...
*
Internal iliac lymph nodes The internal iliac lymph nodes (or hypogastric) surround the internal iliac artery and its branches (the ''hypogastric vessels''), and receive the lymphatics corresponding to the distribution of the branches of it, i. e., they receive lymphatics fr ...
*
External iliac lymph nodes 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 ...
Others in the pelvis include: *
Sacral lymph nodes The sacral lymph nodes are placed in the concavity of the sacrum, in relation to the middle and lateral sacral arteries; they receive lymphatics from the rectum and posterior wall of the pelvis The pelvis (plural pelves or pelvises) is the low ...
* Retroperitoneal lymph nodes


Lymph nodes of the arm

These drain the whole of the arm, and are divided into two groups, superficial and deep. The superficial nodes are supplied by lymphatics that are present throughout the arm, but are particularly rich on the palm and flexor aspects of the digits. * Superficial lymph nodes of the arm: ** Supratrochlear nodes: Situated above the medial epicondyle of the humerus, medial to the
basilic vein The basilic vein is a large superficial vein of the upper limb that helps drain parts of the hand and forearm. It originates on the medial (ulnar) side of the dorsal venous network of the hand and travels up the base of the forearm, where its c ...
, they drain the C7 and C8 dermatomes. ** Deltoideopectoral nodes: Situated between the pectoralis major and
deltoid muscle The deltoid muscle is the muscle forming the rounded contour of the human shoulder. It is also known as the 'common shoulder muscle', particularly in other animals such as the domestic cat. Anatomically, the deltoid muscle appears to be made up o ...
s inferior to the
clavicle The clavicle, or collarbone, is a slender, S-shaped long bone approximately 6 inches (15 cm) long that serves as a strut between the shoulder blade and the sternum (breastbone). There are two clavicles, one on the left and one on the r ...
. * Deep lymph nodes of the arm: These comprise the axillary nodes, which are 20-30 individual nodes and can be subdivided into: ** Lateral nodes ** Anterior or pectoral nodes ** Posterior or subscapular nodes ** Central or intermediate nodes ** Medial or subclavicular nodes


Lower limbs

* Superficial inguinal lymph nodes * Deep inguinal lymph nodes * Popliteal lymph nodes


Distribution

The
lymphatic vessel The lymphatic vessels (or lymph vessels or lymphatics) are thin-walled vessels (tubes), structured like blood vessels, that carry lymph. As part of the lymphatic system, lymph vessels are complementary to the cardiovascular system. Lymph ve ...
s that link the lymph nodes are: * The lymphatics of the head, face, neck, and
meningeal lymphatic vessels The meningeal lymphatic vessels (or meningeal lymphatics) are a network of conventional lymphatic vessels located parallel to the dural venous sinuses and middle meningeal arteries of the mammalian central nervous system (CNS). As a part of the ly ...
– drain to the deep cervical lymph nodes * The
jugular trunk The jugular trunk is a lymphatic vessel in the neck. It is formed by vessels that emerge from the superior deep cervical lymph nodes and unite to efferents of the inferior deep cervical lymph nodes. On the right side, this trunk ends in the junc ...
* The subclavian lymph trunk * The
thoracic duct In human anatomy, the thoracic duct is the larger of the two lymph ducts of the lymphatic system. It is also known as the ''left lymphatic duct'', ''alimentary duct'', ''chyliferous duct'', and ''Van Hoorne's canal''. The other duct is the righ ...
* The lymphatics of the upper extremity * The right and left bronchomediastinal lymph trunks * The lymphatics of the lower extremity * The lymphatics of the
abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the to ...
and pelvis * The lymphatic vessels of the
thorax The thorax or chest is a part of the anatomy of humans, mammals, and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen. In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main divisions of the cre ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lymphatic vessels of the human body Vessels Lists of human anatomical features