Quick Facts
Location: At the origin of the superficial belly of masseter muscle on the mandible.
Drainage: Submandibular gland, inferior oral cavity, tongue, gingiva, teeth, and skin covering the nose, lips, and chin.
Direction of Flow: Jugulodigastric node > internal jugular nodes > supraclavicular nodes > jugular trunk > thoracic duct (left) or right lymphatic duct.
Description
The retroglandular submandibular nodes are located on the angle of the mandible, superficial to the origin of masseter muscle. These nodes, usually one or two in number, receive lymph from much of the face and oral cavity.
These nodes drain directly to the jugulodigastric node, unlike the other submandibular nodes which drain through the retrovascular nodes prior. From the jugulodigastric nodes, lymph drains directly into the deep lateral cervical nodes, specifically the internal jugular nodes (Földi et al., 2012).
List of Clinical Correlates
—Oral, tooth or cutaneous infections or malignancies
References
Földi, M., Földi, E., Strößenreuther, R. and Kubik, S. (2012) Földi's Textbook of Lymphology: for Physicians and Lymphedema Therapists. Elsevier Health Sciences.
