Revision Aid: Entry #12
Topic #12: Lymph drainage of the axillary region:
- Axillary lymph nodes drain all the lymphatics of the upper limb, as well as from the adjacent trunk, including upper back, shoulder, lower neck, chest and upper anterolateral abdominal wall.
- Axillary nodes also drain 75% of the mammary gland.
- The 20-30 nodes are divided into 5 groups on the basis of location:
- Lateral nodes (most of upper limb; posteromedial to vein)
- Anterior nodes (most of abdominal wall, chest and mammary gland; along inferior margin of pec minor)
- Posterior nodes (back, shoulder and neck; on posterior axillary wall, in association with subscapular vessels)
- Central nodes (drain the above 3; found embedded in axillary fat)
- Apical nodes (drain all other nodes, as wwell as lymphatics accompanying the cephalic vein and superior mammary gland)
- Efferent vessels from the apical nodes drain to the subclavian trunk, which joins into the venous system at the junction between the right subclavian and internal jugular veins, or into the thoracic duct on the left.