Description
Lymphatic drainage of the lungs involves two lymphatic plexuses. A superficial plexus lies deep to the visceral pleura and drains it and the lung parenchyma into the bronchopulmonary lymph nodes. The deep plexus is located within the lung tissue and is initially drained by the intrapulmonary lymph nodes. 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).
Related parts of the anatomy
References
Netter, F. H. (2011) Atlas of Human Anatomy. Netter Basic Science Series: Saunders/Elsevier.
