Summary Lymphatics of the upper limb

Lymphatics of the Upper Limb - Listed Alphabetically

Efferents Regions
Structure Location Afferents from Notes
to drained
axillary nodes axilla cubital nodes; efferents upper limb, axillary nodes number
lymphatic vessels most of the from 20 to 30 and are
vessels from the form the mammary organized in five
upper limb, subclavian gland, some groups based on their
thoracic wall trunk, some of the position within the
and subscapular drainage to anterolateral axilla: 1) pectoral
region inferior chest wall, nodes, along the lateral
deep posterior border of the pectoralis
cervical thoracic wall major m.; 2) lateral
nodes and scapular nodes, located along
region the distal axillary v.; 3)
central nodes, centrally
located along axillary
v.; 4) subscapular
nodes, located along
the subscapular v. and
its tributaries; 5) apical
nodes, located at the
apex of axilla
axillary nodes, apical apex of the lateral axillary subclavian upper limb, apical axillary nodes
axilla nodes; central lymphatic most of the are 6- 12 in number;
axillary nodes; trunk; deep mammary this is the highest node
subscapular cervical gland, some group in the axilla and
axillary nodes; lymph of the all other node groups
pectoral nodes; nodes anterolateral drain through these
accessory chest wall, nodes; a very importan
lymphatic posterior group of nodes in cases
vessels from the thoracic wall of metastatic spread of
mammary and scapular breast cancer;
gland; lymphatic region connections to deep
vessels cervical nodes may
accompanying result in spread of
the cephalic v. breast cancer through
the deep neck
axillary nodes, in the fat of lateral axillary apical upper limb, central axillary nodes
central the axilla nodes; pectoral axillary most of the are 4 or 5 in number;
nodes; nodes mammary they are involved in

, subscapular gland, some cancer of the mammary
nodes; of the gland
lymphatic anterolateral
vessels from the chest wall,
mammary gland posterior
and upper limb thoracic wall
and scapular
region
axillary nodes, lateral along the cubital nodes; central upper limb lateral axillary nodes
distal axillary lymphatic axillary become inflamed
v. vessels of the nodes, during upper limb
arm apical infections; also known
axillary as: brachial nodes
nodes
axillary nodes, along the lymphatic central skin of the subscapular axillary
subscapular course of the vessels from the axillary back and nodes are 5 or 6 in
subscapular skin of the back nodes back of the number; also known as
vessels and back of the neck; muscles posterior axillary nodes
neck; lymphatic of the
vessels from the scapular and
muscles of the subscapular
scapular region regions
central axillary nodes in the fat of lateral axillary apical upper limb, central axillary nodes
the axilla nodes; pectoral axillary most of the are 4 or 5 in number;
nodes; nodes mammary they are involved in
subscapular gland, some cancer of the mammary
nodes; of the gland
lymphatic anterolateral
vessels from the chest wall,
mammary gland posterior
and upper limb thoracic wall
and scapular
region
cubital nodes cubital fossa lymphatic lateral deep tissues cubital nodes small and
of the upper vessels from the axillary of the are 5 or 6 in number
limb forearm nodes forearm and
hand
infraclavicular nodes along the lymphatic apical skin and infraclavicular nodes
cephalic v. in vessels from the axillary superficial may become inflamed
the superficial upper nodes fascia of the during infections of the
deltopectoral limb upper limb superficial tissues of
groove the upper limb