Inguinal lymph nodes

Inguinal lymph nodes are the lymph nodes in the inguinal region. They are found in the femoral triangle, and are grouped into superficial nodes, and deep nodes.

Superficial inguinal lymph nodes

• The superficial inguinal lymph nodes are divided into three groups:
  • inferior – inferior of the saphenous opening of the leg, receive drainage from lower legs
  • superolateral – on the side of the saphenous opening, receive drainage from the side buttocks and the lower abdominal wall.
  • superomedial – located at the middle of the saphenous opening, take drainage from the perineum and outer genitalia.^[1]

Deep inguinal lymph nodes

The deep inguinal lymph nodes:

• • arranged near and along the femoral vein of the leg.
  • drain the deep parts of the lower limbs, woman's clitoris, and man's penis
  • connected to the superficial lymph nodes and send their drainage to those via lymph vessels.^[2]

Lymph node size

The mean size of an inguinal lymph node, as measured over the short-axis, is approximately 5.4 mm (range 2.1-13.6 mm), with two standard deviations above the mean being 8.8 mm.^[3] A size of up to 10 mm is generally regarded as a cut-off value for normal vs abnormal inguinal lymph node size.^[4]

Additional images

• 
  A view of the different inguinal lymph nodes
• 
  Murine inguinal lymph node beneath the bifurcation of superior epigastric vein. Bright structure visualised by MHC II-GFP construct, is the lymph node

References