Description: The pelvic lymph vessels and nodes accompany
the blood vessels. The small, thin, lymph vessels are not usually
visible to the naked eye. The round or bean-shaped nodes, usually 0.5-1.5cm
in length, are clustered in regions along the aorta, the iliac, the obturator,
and the femoral vessels, and in the inguinal canal. In general, the pelvic
organs drain through the external and the internal iliac lymph nodes,
and the sacral nodes. The external nodes lie on the corresponding
iliac vessels, and drain the lower limbs,
bladder, vagina, cervix,
uterus, and anterior abd.
wall . The internal iliac nodes drain all of the pelvic viscera, deep
parts of the perineum, and
the gluteal and thigh regions. The sacral nodes receive lymph from the
posterior pelvic wall, the rectum,
the cervix, and the bladder neck. Over the
common iliac v., two groups can be identified: a lateral group lying
along the vessels, and a medial group lying in the angle between the joining
vessels. A couple of nodes can usually be identified between the leaves
of the broad ligament adjacent to the cervix (cervical nodes). |