Quick Facts
Location: In subfascial fat in the submental triangle.
Drainage: Chin, lower lip, cheek, gingiva around the incisors, tip of the tongue, back of the oral cavity.
Direction of Flow:
Either:
Ipsi- and contralateral submandibular nodes > internal jugular nodes > supraclavicular nodes > jugular trunk > thoracic duct (left) or right lymphatic duct.
Or:
Ipsi- and contralateral juguloomohyoid nodes > jugular trunk > thoracic duct (left) or right lymphatic duct.
Related parts of the anatomy
Description
The submental nodes are most often found in the subfascial fat; however, they may be found more superficially in the subcutaneous fat. They reside in the submental triangle, a division of the anterior triangle of the neck, made up of the hyoid bone inferiorly, the anterior belly of digastric laterally, and the midline division medially.
There are usually three of these nodes, arranged along a parasagittal plane. They are commonly referred to as anterior, middle, and posterior submental nodes.
Due to their close proximity to the midline, these nodes are likely to connect with their contralateral counterparts and, therefore, can drain into the neck on either side. Regardless of the route taken, all lymph drainage from these nodes is to the deep lateral cervical nodes (Földi et al., 2012).
List of Clinical Correlates
—Metastatic deposits from malignancies of the floor of the mouth, anterior oral tongue, mandibular alveolar ridge, and lower lip
References
Földi, M., Földi, E., Strößenreuther, R. and Kubik, S. (2012) Földi's Textbook of Lymphology: for Physicians and Lymphedema Therapists. Elsevier Health Sciences.
