Submental lymph nodes

{{Infobox lymph

| Name = Submental lymph nodes

| Latin = nodi lymphoidei submentales

| Image = Illu quiz hn 03.jpg

| Caption = 1: Submental lymph nodes
2: Submandibular lymph nodes
3: Supraclavicular lymph nodes
4: Retropharyngeal lymph nodes
5: Buccinator lymph node
6: Superficial cervical lymph nodes
7: Jugular lymph nodes
8: Parotid lymph nodes
9: Retroauricular lymph nodes and occipital lymph nodes

| Image2 = Gray602.png

| Caption2 = Superficial lymph glands and lymphatic vessels of head and neck. (Buccinator glands labeled at center right.)

| DrainsFrom =

| Source =

| DrainsTo =

}}

The submental lymph nodes (or suprahyoid lymph nodes{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}) are 2-3 lymph nodes{{Cite book |last=Fehrenbach |first=Margaret J. |title=Illustrated Anatomy of the Head and Neck |last2=Herring |first2=Susan W. |date=2017 |publisher=Elsevier |isbn=978-0-323-39634-9 |edition=5th |location=St. Louis |pages=250}} situated in the submental triangle, between the anterior bellies of the digastric muscle and the hyoid bone.{{Citation|last=Smeele|first=Ludi E.|title=25 - Neck Dissection|date=2017-01-01|url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780702060564000265|work=Maxillofacial Surgery (Third Edition)|pages=398–404|editor-last=Brennan|editor-first=Peter A.|publisher=Churchill Livingstone|language=en|doi=10.1016/b978-0-7020-6056-4.00026-5|isbn=978-0-7020-6056-4|access-date=2020-11-14|editor2-last=Schliephake|editor2-first=Henning|editor3-last=Ghali|editor3-first=G. E.|editor4-last=Cascarini|editor4-first=Luke}}

Anatomy

The submental lymph nodes are situated in the submental fascial space. They are situated close to the midline. They are immediately superficial to the mylohyoid muscle.

= Afferents =

They drain the lower lip, floor of the mouth, apex of the tongue, chin, and inferior/mandibular incisor teeth and their associated periodontium and gingiva.

= Efferents =

They drain either to submandibular lymph nodes (which then drain to deep cervical lymph nodes), or to the deep cervical lymph nodes directly.

Clinical significance

The most common cause of enlargement of the submental lymph nodes are infections (including viral infections such as mononucleosis, Epstein-Barr virus infection, and cytomegaloviral infections), toxoplasmosis, and dental infections (e.g. periodontitis)).

The lymph nodes may be affected by metastatic spread from cancers of their drained territories.

References

External links

{{NormanAnatomy|lesson5}} ({{NormanAnatomyFig|livingnecklateral}})
[https://web.archive.org/web/20100622160718/http://anatomy.med.umich.edu/surface/head_neck/neck_lymph.html Image at umich.edu - must rollover]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20080216031919/http://www.med.mun.ca/anatomyts/head/hnl3a.htm Lymphatic drainage and fascial planes in the neck]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20080517165214/http://www.bcm.edu/oto/studs/anat/neck.html Diagram] at Baylor College of Medicine
[http://patient.info/health/non-hodgkins-lymphoma-leaflet Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma | Symptoms and Types]
[http://www.emedicine.com/ent/topic306.htm#section~anatomy_of_the_cervical_lymphatics Neck, Cervical Metastases, Detection: Overview, Anatomy of the Cervical Lymphatics, Classification of Cervical Node Groups]

Category:Lymphatics of the head and neck