Lymph Drainage of the Pelvis

Question 1

What are the most inferior lymph nodes in the pelvic region?

Answer 1

Superficial inguinal lymph nodes

Question 2

What drains to the superficial inguinal lymph nodes?

Answer 2

Anus, penis/clitoris, bladder, uterus/vagina/cervix/prostate

Question 3

What drains to the deep inguinal lymph nodes?

Answer 3

Penis/clitoris
Superficial inguinal lymph nodes

Question 4

What other lymph nodes can the bladder/uterus/cervix/vagina/prostate drain to?

Answer 4

Superficial inguinal lymph nodes
External iliac lymph nodes
Internal iliac lymph nodes

Question 5

What does the rectum drain to?

Answer 5

Pararectal lymph nodes

Question 6

What do pararectal lymph nodes drain to?

Answer 6

Sacral nodes
Inferior mesenteric lymph nodes

Question 7

What can sacral lymph nodes drain to?

Answer 7

Internal iliac lymph nodes
Common iliac lymph nodes
Lumbar/para-aortic lymph nodes

Question 8

What drains to common iliac lymph nodes?

Answer 8

External iliac lymph nodes
Internal iliac lymph nodes
Sacral lymph nodes
Deep inguinal lymph nodes

Question 9

What drains to lumbar/para-aortic lymph nodes?

Answer 9

Inferior mesenteric lymph nodes
Sacral lymph nodes
Common iliac lymph nodes
Testes/Ovaris (direct!)

Question 10

What do the lumbar lymph nodes drain to?

Answer 10

Cisterna Chyli/thoracic duct to the LEFT subclavian

Question 11

What two lymph nodes are palpable in the pelvis?

Answer 11

Superficial inguinal lymph nodes
Lumbar/para-aortic lymph nodes

Question 12

How would you describe an infected lymph node?

Answer 12

Painful, mobile, swollen

Question 13

How would you describe a cancerous lymph node?

Answer 13

Non-painful, fixed, firm

Question 14

What kind of cancer do I typically find in the lymphatics?

Answer 14

Carcinomas, derived from the epithelium

Question 15

What kind of cancer do I typically find in the veins?

Answer 15

Sarcomas, derived from the mesoderm.

Question 16

What areas drain their lymph into the R subclavian?

Answer 16

R head
R upper extremity
R chest

Question 17

What areas drain their lymph into the L subclavian?

Answer 17

L head
L upper extremity
L chest
Abdomen
Pelvis
Both lower extremities

Question 18

What lymph node does the thoracic duct encounter before the left subclavian?

Answer 18

Left supraclavicular. This is also known as Virchow’s node. It becomes enlarged if there is cancer of the abdominplevic organs.

Question 19

What general rule does lymph follow?

Answer 19

Inferior to superior!

Superficial nodes tend to drain to deep, which go to bigger and bigger lymph nodes.