Illustrators: Elizabeth Nixon-Shapiro, MSMI, CMI, Editors: Scott Caterine, Editors: Andrew Horne

Figure 1: Superficial lymphatic drainage of the head and neck, lateral view

Figure 2: Deep lymphatic drainage of the head and neck, lateral view.
Figure 3: Lymphatic drainage of the cervical viscera, anterior view.

Lymph nodes Drains

Submental lymph nodes Chin and lower lip

Submandibular lymph nodes Face inferior to the eye and from the mouth

Superfi cial cervical lymph nodes Superficial surfaces of the anterior neck

Buccal lymph nodes Nose and cheek

Parotid lymph nodes Lateral side of the face and scalp

Preauricular lymph nodes Superficial areas of the face and temporal region

Mastoid lymph nodes Posterior neck, upper ear, and lateral scalp

Occipital lymph nodes Occipital area of the scalp

Prelaryngeal lymph nodes Thyroid gland

Parathyroid glands
Pretracheal lymph nodes Larynx inferior to the vocal folds
Cervical esophagus (paratracheal nodes)

Paratracheal lymph nodes

Retropharyngeal lymph nodes

Jugulodigastric (tonsillar) lymph nodes (superior Prelaryngeal nodes
deep cervical nodes) Larynx superior to the vocal folds

Jugulo-omohyoid lymph nodes (inferior deep Pretracheal and paratracheal nodes

cervical nodes)