Quick Facts
Location: Along the facial vein in the subcutaneous fat.
Drainage: The superficial tissues in the face, specifically the lateral eyelid, nose, and cheek.
Direction of Flow: Submandibular nodes > jugulodigastric nodes > internal jugular nodes > supraclavicular nodes > jugular trunk > thoracic duct (left) or right thoracic duct.
Related parts of the anatomy
Description
The facial nodes are an inconsistent group of lymph nodes, connected by vessels, located in the subcutaneous tissue along the facial vein, deep to the muscles of facial expression. A number of the facial nodes are intercalated with the lymphatic vessels of the nose and eyelid.
The drainage territory of these vessels encompasses the superficial tissue of the face, specifically the lateral areas of the eye, the nose and the cheek. This drainage territory is shared with a number of other nodes and is not well defined due to their inconsistency of appearance.
