The occipital lymph nodes, one to three in number, are located on the back of the head close to the margin of the

trapezius The trapezius is a large paired trapezoid-shaped surface muscle that extends longitudinally from the occipital bone to the lower thoracic vertebrae of the spine and laterally to the spine of the scapula. It moves the scapula and supports the ...

and resting on the insertion of the . Their afferent vessels drain the

occipital The occipital bone () is a cranial dermal bone and the main bone of the occiput (back and lower part of the skull). It is trapezoidal in shape and curved on itself like a shallow dish. The occipital bone overlies the occipital lobes of the cereb ...

region of the

scalp The scalp is the anatomical area bordered by the human face at the front, and by the neck at the sides and back. Structure The scalp is usually described as having five layers, which can conveniently be remembered as a mnemonic: * S: The ski ...

, while their efferents pass to the superior deep cervical glands.

Additional images

File:Lymph node regions.svg

Etymology

The word ''occipital'' comes from the la, occiput ("the back of the head").

References

External links

* ()
http://www.patient.info
* http://www.emedicine.com/ent/topic306.htm#section~anatomy_of_the_cervical_lymphatics Lymphatics of the head and neck {{lymphatic-stub