The pretracheal lymph nodes are lymph nodes located anterior to the

trachea The trachea (: tracheae or tracheas), also known as the windpipe, is a cartilaginous tube that connects the larynx to the bronchi of the lungs, allowing the passage of air, and so is present in almost all animals' lungs. The trachea extends from ...

in the

neck The neck is the part of the body in many vertebrates that connects the head to the torso. It supports the weight of the head and protects the nerves that transmit sensory and motor information between the brain and the rest of the body. Addition ...

Structure

The pretracheal lymph nodes lie anterior to the

. They follow the

anterior jugular veins The anterior jugular vein is a vein in the neck. Structure The anterior jugular vein lies lateral to the cricothyroid membrane. It begins near the hyoid bone by the confluence of several superficial veins from the submandibular region. Its tri ...

either side of the midline. They drain into the deep cervical lymph nodes on the right and the

thoracic duct In human anatomy, the thoracic duct (also known as the ''left lymphatic duct'', ''alimentary duct'', ''chyliferous duct'', and ''Van Hoorne's canal'') is the larger of the two lymph ducts of the lymphatic system (the other being the right lymph ...

on the left.

References

External links

* http://www.emedicine.com/ent/topic306.htm#section~anatomy_of_the_cervical_lymphatics {{lymphatic-stub Lymphatics of the head and neck