Quick Facts
Location: Forms chain along axillary vein.
Drainage: Superficial and deep lymph of upper limb.
Direction of Flow: Central axillary lymph nodes > infraclavicular lymph nodes > subclavian trunk > right lymphatic duct (right) or thoracic duct (left).
Description
The lateral axillary lymph nodes are located in a parietal position, along the axillary vein in the axilla. The nodes extend from the tendon of latissimus dorsi to the junction of the subscapular vein to the lateral axillary vein. The lateral axillary lymph nodes drain the superficial and deep vessels of the upper limb. From the lateral axillary nodes, lymph travels towards the central axillary nodes and then superiorly towards the infraclavicular nodes (Földi et al., 2012).
List of Clinical Correlates
—Breast cancer
References
Földi, M., Földi, E., Strößenreuther, R. and Kubik, S. (2012) Földi's Textbook of Lymphology: for Physicians and Lymphedema Therapists. Elsevier Health Sciences.
