Skip to main content

Abdominal Lymph Node Anatomy

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Book cover Atlas of Lymph Node Anatomy

Abstract

Lymph node metastasis is frequently seen in most primary abdominal malignant tumors. The tumor cells enter lymphatic vessels and travel to the lymph nodes along lymphatic drainage pathways. The lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes generally accompany the blood vessels supplying or draining the organs. They are all located in the subperitoneal space within the ligaments, mesentery, mesocolon, and extra peritoneum. Metastasis to the lymph nodes generally follows the nodal station in a stepwise direction—i.e., from the primary tumor to the nodal station that is closest to the primary tumor and then progresses farther away but within the lymphatic drainage pathways. Metastasis to a nodal station that is farther from the primary tumor without involving the nodal station close to the primary tumor (“skip” metastasis) is rare. The key to understanding the pathways of lymphatic drainage of each individual organ is to understand the ligamentous, mesenteric, and peritoneal attachments and the vascular supply of that organ [1].

Keywords

These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Meyers MA, Charnsangavej C, Oliphant M. Meyers’ dynamic radiology of the abdomen: ­normal and pathologic anatomy. New York: Springer; 2010.

    Google Scholar 

  2. McDaniel KP, Charnsangavej C, DuBrow RA, et al. Pathways of nodal metastasis in carcinomas of the cecum, ascending colon, and transverse colon: CT demonstration. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1993;161:61–4.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Granfield CA, Charnsangavej C, Dubrow RA, Varma DG, et al. Regional lymph node metastases in carcinoma of the left side of the colon and rectum: CT demonstration. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1992;159:757–61.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Gest TPP. Anatomy: Medcharts. New York: Iloc; 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Dorfman RE, Alpern MB, Gross BH, Sandler MA. Upper abdominal lymph nodes: criteria for normal size determined with CT. Radiology. 1991;180:319–22.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Dodd 3rd GD, Baron RL, Oliver 3rd JH, et al. Enlarged abdominal lymph nodes in end-stage cirrhosis: CT-histopathologic correlation in 507 patients. Radiology. 1997;203:127–30.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Morón FE, Szklaruk J. Learning the nodal stations in the abdomen. Br J Radiol. 2007;80:841–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Harisinghani MG, Barentsz J, Hahn PF, et al. Noninvasive detection of clinically occult lymph-node metastases in prostate cancer. N Engl J Med. 2003;348:2491–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Torabi M, Aquino SL, Harisinghani MG. Current concepts in lymph node imaging. J Nucl Med. 2004;45:1509–18.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Frija J, Bourrier P, Zagdanski AM, De Kerviler E. Diagnosis of a malignant lymph node. J Radiol. 2005;86:113–25.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Harisinghani MG, Saksena MA, Hahn PF, et al. Ferumoxtran-10-enhanced MR lymphangiography: does contrast-enhanced imaging alone suffice for accurate lymph node characterization? AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2006;186:144–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Egner JR. AJCC cancer staging manual. JAMA. 2010;304:1726–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Kobayashi S, Takahashi S, Kato Y, et al. Surgical treatment of lymph node metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma. J Hepatobiliary Pancreat Sci. 2011;18:559–66.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Hartgrink HH, van de Velde CJH, Putter H, et al. Extended lymph node dissection for gastric cancer: who may benefit? Final results of the randomized Dutch gastric cancer group trial. J Clin Oncol. 2004;22:2069–77.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Coburn NG. Lymph nodes and gastric cancer. J Surg Oncol. 2009;99:199–206.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Dicken BJ, Bigam DL, Cass C, et al. Gastric adenocarcinoma. Ann Surg. 2005;241:27–39.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Taylor FGM, Swift RI, Blomqvist L, Brown G. A systematic approach to the interpretation of preoperative staging MRI for rectal cancer. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2008;191:1827–35.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Steup WH, Moriya Y, van de Velde CJH. Patterns of lymphatic spread in rectal cancer. A topographical analysis on lymph node metastases. Eur J Cancer. 2002;38:911–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Granfield CA, Charnsangavej C, Dubrow RA, et al. Regional lymph node metastases in carcinoma of the left side of the colon and rectum: CT demonstration. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1992;159:757–61.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. McDaniel K, Charnsangavej C, DuBrow R, et al. Pathways of nodal metastasis in carcinomas of the cecum, ascending colon, and transverse colon: CT demonstration. Am J Roentgenol. 1993;161:61–4.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Granfield C, Charnsangavej C, Dubrow R, et al. Regional lymph node metastases in carcinoma of the left side of the colon and rectum: CT demonstration. Am J Roentgenol. 1992;159:757–61.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Rajput A, Romanus D, Weiser MR, et al. Meeting the 12 lymph node (LN) benchmark in colon cancer. J Surg Oncol. 2010;102:3–9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Wolpin BM, Meyerhardt JA, Mamon HJ, Mayer RJ. Adjuvant treatment of colorectal cancer. CA Cancer J Clin. 2007;57:168–85.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Iafrate F, Laghi A, Paolantonio P, et al. Preoperative staging of rectal cancer with MR imaging: correlation with surgical and histopathologic findings. Radiographics. 2006;26:701–14.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. American Cancer Society. Cancer facts and figures. 2011. Accessible at: http://www.cancer.org/Research/CancerFactsFigures/CancerFactsFigures/cancer-facts-figures-2011. Accessed 31 May 2012.

  26. Karakiewicz PI, Lewinshtein DJ, Chun FK-H, et al. Tumor size improves the accuracy of TNM predictions in patients with renal cancer. Eur Urol. 2006;50:521–8. discussion 529.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Lughezzani G, Capitanio U, Jeldres C, et al. Prognostic significance of lymph node invasion in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma: a population-based perspective. Cancer. 2009;115:5680–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Capitanio U, Jeldres C, Patard J-J, et al. Stage-specific effect of nodal metastases on survival in patients with non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma. BJU Int. 2009;103:33–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Pantuck AJ, Zisman A, Dorey F, et al. Renal cell carcinoma with retroperitoneal lymph nodes: role of lymph node dissection. J Urol. 2003;169:2076–83.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Israel GM, Bosniak MA. Renal imaging for diagnosis and staging of renal cell carcinoma. Urol Clin North Am. 2003;30:499–514.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Takahashi T, Ishikura H, Motohara T, et al. Perineural invasion by ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. J Surg Oncol. 1997;65:164–70.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Kayahara M, Nakagawara H, Kitagawa H, Ohta T. The nature of neural invasion by pancreatic cancer. Pancreas. 2007;35:218–23.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Pawlik TM, Gleisner AL, Cameron JL, et al. Prognostic relevance of lymph node ratio following pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic cancer. Surgery. 2007;141:610–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Harisinghani, M.G. (2013). Abdominal Lymph Node Anatomy. In: Harisinghani, M. (eds) Atlas of Lymph Node Anatomy. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9767-8_3

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-9767-8_3

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-9766-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-9767-8

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics