Quick Facts
Location: Along the bronchi.
Drainage: Connective tissue from the lobes of the lungs.
Direction of Flow: Bronchopulmonary lymph nodes > tracheobronchial lymph nodes > paratracheal lymph nodes > bronchomediastinal trunk > right lymphatic trunk or thoracic duct.
Related parts of the anatomy
Description: (Location & Drainage)
The intrapulmonary lymph nodes are located along the bronchial tree. These nodes drain the deep bronchopulmonary lymphatic plexus of vessels located within the bronchopulmonary segments of the lungs. The intrapulmonary lymph nodes send efferents to the bronchopulmonary lymph nodes at the hilum of the lungs. From here, lymphatic drainage varies from each lung.
On the right, the bronchopulmonary lymph nodes drain into the right superior and inferior tracheobronchial lymph nodes and then to the right paratracheal lymph nodes, which returns lymph to the bronchomediastinal trunk and to the right lymphatic duct.
On the left side, the superior lobe drains to the left superior and inferior tracheobronchial lymph nodes and then to the left paratracheal lymph nodes, which returns lymph to the bronchomediastinal trunk and the thoracic duct. The left inferior lobe of the left lung as drains similarly to the superior lobe, however, it also drains to the right superior tracheobronchial lymph nodes, where lymph follows the same route as lymph from the right lung (Netter, 2011).
References
Netter, F. H. (2011) Atlas of Human Anatomy. Netter Basic Science Series: Saunders/Elsevier.
