Axillary lymph nodes
Nodi lymphoidei axillares
Definition
The axillary lymph nodes are lymph nodes located in the axillary region, at the junction between the thorax and the thoracic limb. They belong to the axillary lymphatic center and participate in the lymphatic drainage of the thoracic limb and adjacent thoracic regions.
They are generally located medial to the scapulohumeral joint, near the axillary vessels and the muscular structures of the axillary region. Their number and size may vary depending on the species.
These lymph nodes receive lymph mainly from the thoracic limb, part of the lateral thoracic wall, the scapular region, and, depending on the species, certain structures of the cranial mammary gland. The lymph is then drained toward the central lymph nodes or into the regional lymphatic trunks.
References
Dyce KM, Sack WO, Wensing CJG. Textbook of Veterinary Anatomy. 5th ed. Saunders; 2017.
Evans HE, de Lahunta A. Miller’s Anatomy of the Dog. 5th ed. Elsevier; 2020.
König HE, Liebich H-G. Veterinary Anatomy of Domestic Mammals: Textbook and Colour Atlas. 6th ed. Thieme; 2020.
Nickel R, Schummer A, Seiferle E. The Anatomy of the Domestic Animals. Vol 3: The Circulatory System, the Skin, and the Cutaneous Organs. Berlin: Parey; 1981.
