STATION OF

LYMPH NODE
CREATE BY:

Devyana Enggar Taslim

(04087821416001)

Supervisor

Dr. H. M. Yusri, Sp.Rad (K)

RADIOLOGY DEPARTMENT
MOHAMMAD HOESIN GENERAL HOSPITAL PALEMBANG
MEDICAL FACULTY OF SRIWIJAYA UNIVERSITY
2014
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A lymph node is an oval-shaped organ of the lymphatic system, distributed widely

throughout the body including the armpit and stomach and linked by lymphatic vessels. Lymph
nodes are major sites of B, T, and other immune cells. Lymph nodes are important for the proper
functioning of the immune system, acting as filters for foreign particles and cancer cells. Lymph
nodes do not deal with toxicity, which is primarily dealt with by the liver and kidneys.
Lymph nodes also have clinical significance. They become inflamed or enlarged in various
infections and diseases which may range from trivial throat infections, to life-threatening
cancers. The condition of the lymph nodes is very important in cancer staging, which decides the
treatment to be used, and determines the prognosis. When swollen, inflamed or enlarged, lymph
nodes can be hard, firm or tender.[1]
Lymph nodes in the neck have been divided into seven levels, generally for the purpose of
squamous cell carcinoma staging. However, this is not all inclusive as several groups such as the
supraclavicular, parotid and retropharyngeal space nodes are not accounted for in this system.
Level I

below mylohyoid muscle and above the lower margin of the hyoid bone

anterior to the posterior border of the submandibular glands

o

level Ia: submental nodes - between the anterior bellies of the digastric muscles

level Ib: submandibular nodes - posterolateral to the anterior belly of the digastric
muscles

Level II

internal jugular (deep cervical) chain

base of skull to inferior border of hyoid bone

anterior to the posterior border of sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle

posterior to the posterior border of the submandibular glands

o

level IIa: anterior, lateral, or medial to the vein or posterior to the internal jugular
vein and inseparable from it

level IIb: posterior to the internal jugular vein and have a fat plane separating the
nodes and the vein

Level III

internal jugular (deep cervical) chain

lower margin of hyoid to lower margin of cricoid cartilage

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anterior to the posterior border of SCM

lateral to the medial margin of the common carotid artery (CCA)/internal carotid artery
(ICA)

Level IV

internal jugular (deep cervical) chain

lower margin of cricoid cartilage to level of the clavicle

anterior and medial to an oblique line drawn through the posterior edge of the
sternocleidomastoid muscle and the posterolateral edge of the anterior scalene muscle 4

lateral to the medial margin of the CCA

Level V

posterior triangle (spinal accessory) nodes

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level Va: superior half, posterior to levels II and III (between base of skull and
inferior border of cricoid cartilage)

level Vb: inferior half, posterior to level IV (between inferior border of cricoid
cartilage and the level of clavicles)

Level VI

prelaryngeal/pretracheal/Delphian node

anterior to visceral space

from inferior margin of hyoid bone to manubrium

anterior to of levels III and IV

Level VII

superior mediastinal nodes

between CCAs, below superior aspect of manubrium

Mediastinum - Lymph Node Map

IASLC lymph node map 2009

Regional lymph node classification for lung cancer staging adapted from the American Thoracic
Society mapping scheme
Supraclavicular nodes
1. Low cervical, supraclavicular and sternal notch nodes
From the lower margin of the cricoid to the clavicles and the upper border of the manubrium.
The midline of the trachea serves as border between 1R and 1L.
Superior Mediastinal Nodes 2-4
2R.Upper Paratracheal
2R nodes extend to the left lateral border of the trachea.
From upper border of manubrium to the intersection of caudal margin of innominate (left
brachiocephalic) vein with the trachea.
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2L.Upper Paratracheal
From the upper border of manubrium to the superior border of aortic arch.
2L nodes are located to the left of the left lateral border of the trachea.
3A. Pre-vascular
These nodes are not adjacent to the trachea like the nodes in station 2, but they are anterior to the
vessels.
3P.Pre-vertebral
Nodes not adjacent to the trachea like the nodes in station 2, but behind the esophagus, which is
prevertebral.
4R. Lower Paratracheal
From the intersection of the caudal margin of innominate (left brachiocephalic) vein with the
trachea to the lower border of the azygos vein.
4R nodes extend from the right to the left lateral border of the trachea.
4L. Lower Paratracheal
From the upper margin of the aortic arch to the upper rim of the left main pulmonary artery.
Aortic Nodes 5-6
5. Subaortic
These nodes are located in the AP window lateral to the ligamentum arteriosum.
These nodes are not located between the aorta and the pulmonary trunk but lateral to these
vessels.
6. Para-aortic
These are ascending aorta or phrenic nodes lying anterior and lateral to the ascending aorta and
the aortic arch.
Inferior Mediastinal Nodes 7-9
7.Subcarinal
8. Paraesophageal
Nodes below carina.
9. Pulmonary Ligament
Nodes lying within the pulmonary ligaments.
Hilar, Lobar and (sub)segmental Nodes 10-14
These are all N1-nodes.
10. Hilar nodes
These include nodes adjacent to the main stem bronchus and hilar vessels.
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On the right they extend from the lower rim of the azygos vein to the interlobar region.
On the left from the upper rim of the pulmonary artery to the interlobar region.
Specific Lymph Node Stations

1. Supraclavicular zone nodes

1. Supraclavicular zone nodes
These include low cervical, supraclavicular and sternal notch nodes.
Upper border: lower margin of cricoid.
Lower border: clavicles and upper border of manubrium.
The midline of the trachea serves as border between 1R and 1L.

2R. Right Upper Paratracheal

2R nodes extend to the left lateral border of the trachea.
Upper border: upper border of manubrium.
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Lower border: intersection of caudal margin of innominate (left brachiocephalic) vein with the
trachea.
2L. Left Upper Paratracheal
Upper border: upper border of manubrium.
Lower border: superior border of aortic arch.
On the left a station 2 node in front of the trachea, i.e. a 2R-node.
There is also a small prevascular node, i.e. a station 3A node.

3A and 3P nodes
3. Prevascular and Prevertabral nodes
Station 3 nodes are not adjacent to the trachea like station 2 nodes.
They are either:
3A anterior to the vessels or
3B behind the esophagus, which lies prevertebrally.
Station 3 nodes are not accessible with mediastinoscopy.
3P nodes can be accessible with endoscopic ultrasound (EUS).

On the left a 3A node in the prevascular space.

Notice also lower paratracheal nodes on the right, i.e. 4R nodes.

4R. Lower Paratracheal nodes

4R. Right Lower Paratracheal
Upper border: intersection of caudal margin of innominate (left brachiocephalic) vein with the
trachea.
Lower border:lower border of azygos vein.
4R nodes extend to the left lateral border of the trachea.

On the left we see 4R paratracheal nodes.

In addition there is an aortic node lateral to the aortic arch, i.e. station 6 node.

4L. Lower paratracheal nodes

4L. Left Lower Paratracheal
4L nodes are lower paratracheal nodes that are located to the left of the left tracheal border,
between a horizontal line drawn tangentially to the upper margin of the aortic arch and a line
extending across the left main bronchus at the level of the upper margin of the left upper lobe
bronchus.
These include paratracheal nodes that are located medially to the ligamentum arteriosum.
Station 5 (AP-window) nodes are located laterally to the ligamentum arteriosum.

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On the left an image just above the level of the pulmonary trunk demonstrating lower
paratracheal nodes on the left and on the right.
In addition there are also station 3 and 5 nodes.

On the left an image at the level of the lower trachea just above the carina.
To the left of the trachea 4L nodes.
Notice that these 4L nodes are between the pulmonary trunk and the aorta, but are not located in
the AP-window, because they lie medially to the ligamentum arteriosum.
The node lateral to the pulmonary trunk is a station 5 node.

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5. Subaortic nodes
Subaortic or aorto-pulmonary window nodes are lateral to the ligamentum arteriosum or the
aorta or left pulmonary artery and proximal to the first branch of the left pulmonary artery and lie
within the mediastinal pleural envelope.
6. Para-aortic nodes
Para-aortic (ascending aorta or phrenic) nodes are located anteriorly and laterally to the
ascending aorta and the aortic arch from the upper margin to the lower margin of the aortic arch.

7. Subcarinal nodes
These nodes are located caudally to the carina of the trachea, but are not associated with the
lower lobe bronchi or arteries within the lung.
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On the right they extend caudally to the lower border of the bronchus intermedius.
On the left they extend caudally to the upper border of the lower lobe bronchus.
On the left a station 7 subcarinal node to the right of the esophagus.

.
8 Paraesophageal nodes
These nodes are below the carinal nodes and extend caudally to the diafragm.
On the left an image below the carina.
To the right of the esophagus a station 8 node.

On the left a PET image demonstrating FDG uptake in a station 8 node.

On the corresponding CT image the node is not enlarged (blue arrow).
The probability that this is a lymph node metastasis is extremely high since the specificity of
PET in unenlarged nodes is higher than in enlarged nodes.

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9. Pulmonary ligament nodes

Pulmonary ligament nodes are lying within the pulmonary ligament, including those in the
posterior wall and lower part of the inferior pulmonary vein.
The pulmonary ligament is the inferior extension of the mediastinal pleural reflections that
surround the hila.

10 Hilar nodes
Hilar nodes are proximal lobar nodes, distal to the mediastinal pleural reflection and nodes
adjacent to the intermediate bronchus on the right.
Nodes in station 10 - 14 are all N1-nodes, since they are not located in the mediastinum.

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Axial CT of Lymph Nodes

Scroll through the images on the left.

1. Sternal notch nodes are just seen at this level and above this level
2. Upper Paratracheal: below clavicles and on the right above the intersection of caudal
margin of innominate (left brachiocephalic) vein with the trachea and on the left above
the aortic arch.
3. Pre-vascular and Retrotracheal : anterior to the vessels (3A) or prevertebral (3P)
4. Lower Paratracheal : below upper margin of aortic arch down to level of main bronchus
5. Subaortic (A-P window): nodes lateral to ligamentum arteriosum or lateral to aorta or left
pulmonary artery
6. Para-aortic: nodes lying anterior and lateral to the ascending aorta and the aortic arch
beneath the upper margin of the aortic arch
7. Subcarinal
8. Paraesophageal (below carina)
9. Pulmonary Ligament: nodes lying within the pulmonary ligament.
10. -14: nodes are all N1 nodes

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Mediastinoscopy and EUS

Conventional mediastinoscopy
The following nodal stations can be biopsied by cervical mediastinoscopy: the left and right
upper paratracheal nodes (station 2L and 2R), left and right lower paratracheal nodes (station 4L
and 4R) and the subcarinal nodes (station 7).
Station 1 nodes are located above the suprasternal notch and are not routinely accessed by
cervical mediastinoscopy.

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Extended mediastinoscopy
Left upper lobe tumors may metastasize to the subaortic lymph nodes (station 5) and paraaortic
nodes (station 6).
These nodes can not be biopsied through routine cervical mediastinoscopy.
Extended mediastinoscopy is an alternative for the anterior-second interspace mediastinotomy
which is more commonly used for exploration of mediastinal nodal stations.
This procedure is far less easy and therefore less routinely performed than conventional
mediastinoscopy.

EUS-FNA
Endoscopic Ultrasound with Fine Needle Aspiration can be performed of all the mediastinal
nodes that that can be assessed from the oesophagus.
In addition the left adrenal gland and the left liver lobe can be visualized.
EUS particularly provides access to nodes in the lower mediastinum (sta

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DAFTAR PUSTAKA
1. "Swollen Glands and Other Lumps Under the Skin-Topic Overview".
Children.webmd.com. 2011-04-14. Retrieved 2014-02-28

2. Regional lymph node classification for lung cancer staging by CF Mountain and CM
Dresler Chest, Vol 111, 1718-1723
3. The IASLC Lung Cancer Staging Project: A Proposal for a New International Lymph
Node Map in the Forthcoming Seventh Edition of the TNM Classification for Lung
Cancer by Valerie Rusch et al
Journal of Thoracic Oncology: May 2009 - Volume 4 - Issue 5 - pp 568-577
4. Conventional mediastinoscopy by Paul De Leyn and Toni Lerut.
in the Multimedia Manual of Cardiothoracic Surgery
5. Mediastinal Staging of Non Small-Cell Lung Cancer by Christian Lloyd, MD, and Gerard
A.Silvestri, MD, FCCP Christian Lloyd, MD, and Gerard A.Silvestri, MD, FCCP Cancer
Control, July/August 2001,Vol.8, No.4 Cancer Control 311
6. State of the art lecture: EUS and EBUS in pulmonary medicine by J. T. Annema, and K.
F. Rabe Endoscopy 2006; 38: 118-122
7. Imaging of the Patient with Non Small Cell Lung Cancer, What the Clinician Wants to
Know by Reginald F. Munden, MD, DMD, Stephen S. Swisher, MD, Craig W. Stevens,
MD, PhD and David J. Stewart, MD Radiology 2005; 237:803-818

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