Quick Facts
Location: Along the common iliac artery and vein.
Drainage: Lower limb.
Direction of Flow: Lateral aortic lymph nodes (left) and lateral caval lymph nodes (right) > left and right lumbar lymph trunk > cisterna chyli > thoracic duct.
Related parts of the anatomy
Description:
Description: (Location & Drainage)
The common iliac lymph nodes are responsible for lymph drainage of the entire lower limb since they receive efferent vessels from the internal and external iliac nodes.
The common iliac lymph nodes can be further subdivided into medial, intermediate, and lateral lymph nodes.
The lateral common iliac lymph nodes are located just lateral to the common iliac artery on the psoas major muscle and consists of one to three nodes (Földi et al., 2012). They are the most prominent of the three groups and are the main route of lymph flow from the lower limb.
The intermediate common iliac lymph nodes form a middle chain of two to five nodes. They are located posterior to the common iliac vein, lateral to the fifth lumbar vertebra and medial to the psoas major muscle.
The medial common iliac lymph nodes accompany the common iliac artery on the right and common iliac vein on the left. Collectively, the right and left medial groups are known as the promontory or subaortic lymph nodes.
The efferent vessels of the lateral and intermediate common iliac lymph nodes on either side unite at the level of the fourth lumbar vertebra to form the left and right lumbar trunks. The efferent vessels of the right and left medial common iliac lymph nodes unite forming an intermediate lumbar trunk that drains through the intermediate lumbar lymph nodes.
References
Földi, M., Földi, E., Strößenreuther, R. and Kubik, S. (2012) Földi's Textbook of Lymphology: for Physicians and Lymphedema Therapists. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Description:
Description: (Location & Drainage)
The common iliac lymph nodes are responsible for lymph drainage of the entire lower limb since they receive efferent vessels from the internal and external iliac nodes.
The common iliac lymph nodes can be further subdivided into medial, intermediate, and lateral lymph nodes.
The lateral common iliac lymph nodes are located just lateral to the common iliac artery on the psoas major muscle and consists of one to three nodes (Földi et al., 2012). They are the most prominent of the three groups and are the main route of lymph flow from the lower limb.
The intermediate common iliac lymph nodes form a middle chain of two to five nodes. They are located posterior to the common iliac vein, lateral to the fifth lumbar vertebra and medial to the psoas major muscle.
The medial common iliac lymph nodes accompany the common iliac artery on the right and common iliac vein on the left. Collectively, the right and left medial groups are known as the promontory or subaortic lymph nodes.
The efferent vessels of the lateral and intermediate common iliac lymph nodes on either side unite at the level of the fourth lumbar vertebra to form the left and right lumbar trunks. The efferent vessels of the right and left medial common iliac lymph nodes unite forming an intermediate lumbar trunk that drains through the intermediate lumbar lymph nodes.
