Breast and Axilla (Unit 2 Week 1) Flashcards
What is another word for tissue fluid?
Interstitial fluid
What fluid fills the spaces surrounding cells?
Interstitial fluid
What makes the lymph fluid move through the body?
Muscle contractions and pressure changes caused by breathing.
The lining of the lymphatic vessels is composed of which cell type?
Simple squamous epithelium
Lymph from the right lymphatic duct enters the systemic circulation at what point?
The junction of the right subclavian vein and the jugular vein. Right venus angle.
Which lymph nodes are involved in the lymphatic spread of cancer from one breast to the other?
Parasternal lymph nodes.
Which muscle forms the medial boundary of the axilla?
Serratus anterior.
Which muscles form the anterior (front facing) boundary of the axilla?
Pectoralis major and minor.
What does mammary mean?
Relating to the breasts.
What does axilla mean?
Armpit
What does subclavian mean?
Below the clavicle
Which group of nodes receives 75% of the lymphatic drainage of the breast tissue?
Axillary nodes.
What are the 5 aspects of the axillary nodes?
Lateral, central, posterior, anterior and apical.
Where does 25% of the lymph from the breast drain to?
25% of the lymphatic drainage of the breast travels medially toward a set of nodes which run alongside the internal thoracic artery and are known as the PARASTERNAL NODES.
What are the four quadrants of the breast?
- Upper outer (superolateral) quadrant
- Upper inner (superomedial) quadrant
- Lower outer (inferolateral) quadrant
- Lower inner (inferomedial) quadrant
Where do majority of cancers develop?
Upper outer quadrant. Parasternally.
What is the axillary tail?
An axillary tail of breast tissue often extends into axilla.
What are the 3 main groups of vessels that supply arteriole blood to the breast?
Medial - come from the internal thoracic artery
Lateral - come from the lateral thoracic artery, branch of the axillary artery
Pectoral - pectoral branches of thoracoacromial artery
Where do the veins largely drain to in the breast?
Axillary vein.
Where do the nerves of the breast arise from?
Medially and laterally.
What muscle does the breast lie on?
Pectroalis major.
What is subcutaneous tissue?
Subcutaneous tissue is the deepest layer of your skin. It’s made up mostly of fat cells and connective tissue. The majority of your body fat is stored here. The subcutaneous layer acts as a layer of insulation to protect your internal organs and muscles from shock and changes in temperature.
What is the role of the lymphatic system?
- Key player in immune response by producing white blood cells
- Returns lymph (formerly intersitial fluid) to the blood
- Filters blood and lymph
What is the role of lymph nodes?
To process lymph.
What fluid is lymph?
As blood flows through the artery, due to the high pressure, it forces some of the fluid that is not RBCs to leave the capillary and this fluid is considered ‘lymph’.
All lymph that originates below the diaphragm as well as all lymph from the left half of head and neck, left half of thorax and the left upper extermity will all eventually fall into what duct?
Thoracic.
How is the lymph re-introduced into the circulatory system?
The right lymphatic duct and the thoracic duct drain at the point where the internal jugular vein meets the subclavian vein (venus angle). The lymph within the thoracic duct will be re-introduced in the circulatory system at the left venus angle, while lymph within the right lymphatic duct will be re-introduced into the circulatory system at the right venus angle.
What is the name for the point of where the internal jugular vein and the subclavian vein meet?
Venus angle as they meet at roughly a 90 degree angle. There is a left venus angle (thoracic duct) and a right venus angle (right lymphatic duct).
How many afferent vessels do we have on one lymph node?
5
What do the afferent vessels of the lymph node do?
They bring lymph fluid into the lymph node where it then enters into the outer part of the lymph node known as the cortex where the fluid slowly drains down towards the centre of the lymph node known as the medulla.