Browse the corpus

As a general anatomic region, the head and neck are characterized by many critical structures in a relatively small geographic area. It includes osseous, nervous, arterial, venous, muscular, and lymphatic structures. Lymphadenopathy is a significant clinical finding associated with acute infection, granulomatous disease, autoimmune disease, and malignancy. The involvement of specific nodal groups is an indicator of pathologically affected organs and tissues, especially in the context of malignancy. As such, intimate knowledge of the anatomic relationships of the lymphatic nodal levels and the structures they drain is critical in delivering appropriate therapy in many patients with head and neck cancers. This knowledge is especially crucial in guiding the approach to proper locoregional therapy, whether by surgery or irradiation. A detailed understanding of the principle lymphatic nodal levels of the neck is required, including their anatomical configuration and boundaries, patterns of drainage, and risk of metastatic involvement in the context of malignancy. See Image. Lymphatic System.