Quick Facts
Location: Lies on the medial surface of the external iliac 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 medial external iliac lymph nodes form part of a medial chain of lymph nodes along with the obturator lymph nodes. They lie on the medial surface of the external iliac vein. The number of nodes in this group often varies as nodes can often fuse with one another.
The lowest node of this group is referred to as the medial lacunar lymph node and is the node that is most commonly present in this group (98%) (Földi et al., 2012). It is very closely related to the proximal node of the deep inguinal lymph nodes (or the node of Rosenmüller). In addition, the uppermost node of the medial external iliac lymph nodes is also referred to as the interiliac node along with the uppermost node of the intermediate external iliac lymph nodes. The interiliac nodes are important as they act as a confluence to the external and internal iliac lymphatic pathways.
The medial external iliac lymph nodes receive lymph from the viscera of the pelvis including the fundus of the bladder, urethra, cervix, superior part of the vagina and prostate. The medial lacunar lymph node of this group receives lymph from the deep layers of the abdominal wall, inferior to the umbilicus, the perineum, and lower limb via the inguinal lymph nodes.
The medial external iliac lymph nodes send efferent lymph vessels to the intermediate and medial 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 medial external iliac lymph nodes form part of a medial chain of lymph nodes along with the obturator lymph nodes. They lie on the medial surface of the external iliac vein. The number of nodes in this group often varies as nodes can often fuse with one another.
The lowest node of this group is referred to as the medial lacunar lymph node and is the node that is most commonly present in this group (98%) (Földi et al., 2012). It is very closely related to the proximal node of the deep inguinal lymph nodes (or the node of Rosenmüller). In addition, the uppermost node of the medial external iliac lymph nodes is also referred to as the interiliac node along with the uppermost node of the intermediate external iliac lymph nodes. The interiliac nodes are important as they act as a confluence to the external and internal iliac lymphatic pathways.
The medial external iliac lymph nodes receive lymph from the viscera of the pelvis including the fundus of the bladder, urethra, cervix, superior part of the vagina and prostate. The medial lacunar lymph node of this group receives lymph from the deep layers of the abdominal wall, inferior to the umbilicus, the perineum, and lower limb via the inguinal lymph nodes.
The medial external iliac lymph nodes send efferent lymph vessels to the intermediate and medial common iliac lymph nodes, which send lymph to the lateral aortic and caval lymph nodes of the left and right side, respectively.
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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.
