Quick Facts
Location: Along the external iliac artery and vein.
Drainage: Deep layers of the abdominal wall, viscera of pelvis, perineum, and lower limb via the inguinal lymph nodes.
Direction of Flow: Common iliac lymph nodes > Lateral aortic lymph nodes (left) and lateral caval lymph nodes (right) > left and right lumbar lymph trunk > cisterna chyli > thoracic duct.
Description:
Description: (Location & Drainage)
The external iliac lymph nodes are a group of 8–10 nodes situated along the external iliac artery and vein (Földi et al., 2012). This nodal group can be further subdivided into four groups: the medial, intermediate, lateral, and obturator lymph nodes.
The external iliac nodes receive lymphatic drainage from the deep layers of the abdominal wall, below the umbilicus, pelvic viscera (including the fundus of the bladder, urethra, cervix, superior part of the vagina and prostate), the perineum, and from the inguinal lymph nodes.
The external iliac lymph nodes send efferent lymph vessels to the common iliac lymph nodes, which send lymph to the lateral aortic and caval lymph nodes of the left and right side, respectively.
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 external iliac lymph nodes are a group of 8–10 nodes situated along the external iliac artery and vein (Földi et al., 2012). This nodal group can be further subdivided into four groups: the medial, intermediate, lateral, and obturator lymph nodes.
The external iliac nodes receive lymphatic drainage from the deep layers of the abdominal wall, below the umbilicus, pelvic viscera (including the fundus of the bladder, urethra, cervix, superior part of the vagina and prostate), the perineum, and from the inguinal lymph nodes.
The external iliac lymph nodes send efferent lymph vessels to the common iliac lymph nodes, which send lymph to the lateral aortic and caval lymph nodes of the left and right side, respectively.
Learn more about this topic from other Elsevier products
External Iliac Lymph Nodes
The external iliac lymph node chain is typically comprised of 9-10 lymph nodes forming 3 distinct chains of approximately 3 nodes each, called the lateral, middle/intermediate, and medial chains.
