Description
Located in the lateral aspect of the neck are a collection of lymph vessels and nodes responsible for filtering lymphatic fluid from local deep and superficial tissues, as well as providing secondary drainage for much of the lymphatic fluid of the head as it travels through the neck to return to the venous circulation.
The lateral cervical lymph vessels are divided into superficial and deep categories. There are few dispersed superficial vessels, and a much larger collection of deep vessels. These deep vessels and nodes are associated with three major structures in the neck, the accessory nerve, the internal jugular vein, and the clavicle.
