An apical (or medial or subclavicular) group of six to twelve glands is situated partly posterior to the upper portion of the
pectoralis minor
Pectoralis minor muscle () is a thin, triangular muscle, situated at the upper part of the chest, beneath the pectoralis major in the human body. It arises from ribs III-V; it inserts onto the coracoid process of the scapula. It is innervated by ...
and partly above the upper border of this muscle.
Its only direct territorial
afferents are those that accompany the
cephalic vein
In human anatomy, the cephalic vein (also called the antecubital vein) is a superficial vein in the arm. It is the longest vein of the upper limb. It starts at the anatomical snuffbox from the radial end of the dorsal venous network of hand, a ...
, and one that drains the upper peripheral part of the
mamma
Mama(s) or Mamma or Momma may refer to:
Roles
*Mother, a female parent
*Mama-san, in Japan and East Asia, a woman in a position of authority
*Maternal uncle, in some parts of South Asia
Places
*Mama, Russia, an urban-type settlement in the Mamsk ...
. However, it receives the
efferents of all the other
axillary glands
The axillary lymph nodes or armpit lymph nodes are lymph nodes in the human armpit. Between 20 and 49 in number, they drain lymph vessels from the lateral quadrants of the breast, the superficial lymph vessels from thin walls of the chest and the ...
.
The efferent vessels of the subclavicular group unite to form the
subclavian trunk
The efferent vessels of the subclavicular group unite to form the subclavian trunk, which opens either directly into the junction of the internal jugular and subclavian veins or into the jugular lymphatic trunk; on the left side it may end in the ...
, which opens either directly into the junction of the
internal jugular and
subclavian vein
The subclavian vein is a paired large vein, one on either side of the body, that is responsible for draining blood from the upper extremities, allowing this blood to return to the heart. The left subclavian vein plays a key role in the absorption ...
s or into the
jugular lymphatic trunk; on the left side it may end in 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 ...
.
A few efferents from the subclavicular glands usually pass to the
inferior deep cervical glands
The inferior deep cervical lymph nodes are one of the two groups of the deep cervical lymph nodes (the other being the superior deep cervical lymph nodes).
They are situated partial deep to the sternocleidomastoid muscle. They are closely related ...
.
Additional images
Image:illu_lymph_chain03.jpg
References
External links
* ()
Lymphatics of the upper limb
{{lymphatic-stub