Cervical lymph nodes

This article is about lymph nodes in the neck. For lymph nodes near the cervix, see external iliac lymph nodes and inguinal lymph nodes.

Lymph: Cervical lymph nodes'''
Regional lymph tissue. (Cervical near top, in green.)⋅
Deep Lymph Nodes 1. Submental 2. Submandibular (Submaxillary) Anterior Cervical Lymph Nodes (Deep) 3. Prelaryngeal 4. Thyroid 5. Pretracheal 6. Paratracheal Deep Cervical Lymph Nodes 7. Lateral jugular 8. Anterior jugular 9. Jugulodigastric Inferior Deep Cervical Lymph Nodes 10. Juguloomohyoid 11. Supraclavicular (scalene)
Gray's	subject #177 697

Cervical lymph nodes are lymph nodes found in the neck.

Classification

There are approximately 300 lymph nodes in the neck, and they can be classified in many different ways.^[1]

Henri Rouvière produced an influential classification in 1938.^[2] However, this system was based upon anatomical landmarks found in dissection, making it imperfectly suited to the needs of clinicians, which led to new terminology for the lymph nodes that could be palpated.

More recently, classification systems have been proposed organized around what can be observed via diagnostic imaging.^[3]

Commonly used systems have been devised by the American Academy of Otolaryngology and the American Joint Committee on Cancer.^[4]

One system divides the nodes as follows:^[5][6]

• Level I: Submental and submandibular nodes
  • Level Ia: Submental triangle
  • Level Ib: Submandibular triangle
• Level II: Upper jugular nodes
• Level III: Middle jugular nodes
• Level IV: Lower jugular nodes
• Level V: Posterior triangle group
• Level VI: Anterior compartment group

Additional images

• 

  Superficial lymph glands and lymphatic vessels of head and neck.

• 

  Lymphatics of pharynx.

• 

  The lymphatics of the face.

References

1. ^ "I. Classification". http://www.neurographics.org/2/2/2/2.shtml. Retrieved 2008-02-16. 
2. ^ Rouvière H. Lymphatic system of the head and neck. Tobias M, Translator. Ann Arbor, MI: Edwards Brothers, 1938.
3. ^ Chong V (2004). "Cervical lymphadenopathy: what radiologists need to know". Cancer Imaging 4 (2): 116–20. doi:10.1102/1470-7330.2004.0020. PMC 1434593. PMID 18250018. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=1434593. 
4. ^ Som PM, Curtin HD, Mancuso AA (1999). "An imaging-based classification for the cervical nodes designed as an adjunct to recent clinically based nodal classifications". Arch. Otolaryngol. Head Neck Surg. 125 (4): 388–96. PMID 10208676. http://archotol.ama-assn.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=10208676. 
5. ^ "Neck Dissection". http://www.utmb.edu/otoref/Grnds/Neck-dissection-060920/Neck-dissection-060920.htm. Retrieved 2008-02-16. 
6. ^ http://archotol.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/128/7/751.pdf

External links

• MedEd at Loyola medicine/pulmonar/PD/pstep23.htm
• [1]
• anatomy of the cervical lymphatics