Lymph nodes, lymph centres and lymph drainage

of the

sheep and goat

Whole animal –Lymph nodes 

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Figure 3: Schematic drainage of lymph nodes of the head, neck and thoracic limb

3. Lymph nodes of the thorax

Lymphocentrum thoracicum dorsale

Lymph nodes Position Drainage area Efferent drainage

Lnn. intercostales In the intercostals Muscles of the shoulder, To the thoracic aortic
spaces, near the heads back, thoracic wall and lymph nodes, cranial
of the ribs, dorso-lateral abdomen. Also the mediastinal lymph nodes
to the Tr. sympathicus diaphragm, heart, pleura, and / or thoracic duct
mediastinum, ribs and
vertebrae.
Lnn. thoracici aortici Dorso-lateral to the aorta Muscles of the shoulder, To the thoracic duct
and ventro-medial to the back, thoracic wall and
sympathetic trunk abdomen. Also the
diaphragm, heart, pleura,
mediastinum

Lymphocentrum thoracicum ventrale

Lymph nodes Position Drainage area Efferent drainage

Lnn. sternales craniales On the Manibrium sterni, Muscles of the lateral To the cranial
cranial to the M. and ventral thoracic wall, mediastinal lymph nodes
transverses thoracis and abdominal muscles, and thoracic duct
cranio-ventral to the diaphragm, pleura,
proximal A. thoracica mediastinum, trachea,
interna thymus, pericardium and
liver

Whole animal –Lymph nodes 

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Lnn. sternales caudales On the caudal sternum, Ribs and sternum, To cranial sternal lymph
along the course of the muscles of thoracic wall, nodes
A. thoracica interna abdomen and pectoral
girdle, diaphragm, pleura,
mediastinum,
oesophagus, heart,
pericardium and liver

Lymphocentrum mediastinale

Lymph nodes Position Drainage area Efferent drainage

Lnn. mediastinales In cranial mediastinum, Muscles of the thorax, To the thoracic duct or
craniales adjacent to trachea, neck and shoulder, one of the region’s large
oesophagus and large diaphragm, pleura, veins. Caudal group may
blood vessels cranial to mediastinum, drain into thoracic aortic
the heart oesophagus, trachea, lymph nodes
Lnn. mediastinales medii On the base of the heart, heart, pericardium, aorta,
to the right of the aortic spleen and liver
arch, trachea and
oesophagus
Lnn. mediastinales In the caudal
caudales mediastinum, between
the aorta and
oesophagus. Single.

Lymphocentrum bronchale

Lymph nodes Position Drainage area Efferent drainage

Ln. tracheobronchalis Cranial to the left Lungs, heart, To thoracic duct
sinistra bronchus, between the pericardium, oesophagus
aortic arch and the left
pulmonary artery
Ln. tracheobronchalis Cranial to the Bronchus
cranialis trachialis
Lnn. pulmonales* Within the lung Lungs and bronchial tree
parenchyma, adjacent to
the bronchial tree
* Lnn. pulmonales – Routinely examined during meat inspection

Figure 4: Tracheobronchal lymph nodes

Whole animal –Lymph nodes 

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Figure 5: Lymph nodes of the thorax

Whole animal –Lymph nodes 

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WHOLE ANIMAL – LYMPH NODES (Chapters 30, 34, 35, 37, 41,45 ).

Lymph nodes, lymph centres and lymph drainage of the sheep and goat.

Lymph nodes, lymph centres and lymph drainage of sheep and goats. Page 1
Structures that can easily be mistaken to lymph nodes

• Hemal nodes:
- These nodes are positioned athwart the blood stream
- Not found in all species and are most familiar in sheep.
- Their dark colour (due to contained blood ) contrasts them with the white fat in
which they are commonly embedded.
- Are mainly found below the roof of the abdomen and thorax

Figure 1. Hemal nodes in the fat along the dorsal aspect of the abdominal cavity.

• Tonsils:
- These are aggregations of unencapsulated lymph nodules within various
mucosae and form part of the so-called lymphoepithelial structures.
- Have a close relationship to moist epithelial surface.
- Are positioned at the origin of a lymphatic drainage pathway
• Hemolymph nodes:
- Probably only lymph nodes that contains red blood cells in their sinuses as a result
of hemorrhage in their tributary field.

Lymph nodes, lymph centres and lymph drainage of sheep and goats. Page 3
LYMPH NODES OF THE THORAX

The lymph from the thorax drains through four lymphocentres namely:

1. Lc. thoracicum dorsale

2. Lc. thoracicum ventrale
3. Lc. mediastinale
4. Lc. bronchale

Each Lymphocentrum comprises one or more lymph nodes that consistently occur in the same
position and serve a particular drainage area.

The drainage area of each Lymphocentrum usually overlaps with that of other lymphocentres.

Lc. thoracicum dorsal:

• This centre includes two groups of lymph nodes that are arbitrarily separated by the Tr.
sympatheticus.
• The two groups include:
- Lnn. intercostales
- Lnn. thoracici aortici

Figure 7. Intercostal lymph nodes of sheep. (Left dorso lateral view) [Raymond, A.R., & Stanley, D., 1984]

Lnn. intercostales

• They lie in the intercostals

spaces near the heads of the
ribs and dorso-lateral to the
sympathetic trunk.
Afferent vessels drain muscles of the
shoulder, back, thoracic wall and
abdomen;the diaphragm, heart, pleura,
mediastinum, ribs and vertebrae.
Efferents go to the thoracic lymph
nodes, cranial mediastinal lymph
nodes and/or the thoracic duct.

Lymph nodes, lymph centres and lymph drainage of sheep and goats. Page 7
 Lnn. thoracici aortici

• These lymph nodes lie

dorso-lateral to the aorta and
ventro-medial to the
sympathetic trunk.

These lymph nodes drain same

areas as Lnn. intercostales, but can
also drain the spleen in bovines.
Afferents are received from the
caudal mediastinal lymph nodes.

Efferents are sent through several

nodes to the thoracic duct or to the
mediastinal lymph nodes

Lc. thoracicum ventral

This lymphocentre comprises the cranial and caudal sterna lymph nodes

• Lnn. sternales craniales

• Lnn. sternales caudales

Lnn. sternales craniales

These lymph nodes occur in all species.
Are located in the Manubrium sterni.
Drainage area include muscles of the lateral and
ventral thoracic wall, abdominal muscles,
diaphragm, pleura, mediastinum, esophagus,
trachea, thymus, pericardium and liver.
Receive afferents from the caudal sterna lymph
nodes. Efferents go to the cranial mediastinal
lymph nodes and thoracic duct.

Figure 8.Cranial Sternal lymph nodes (Left Ventro-lateral view) [Raymond, A.R., & Stanley, D. 1984]

Lymph nodes, lymph centres and lymph drainage of sheep and goats. Page 8
 Lnn. sternales caudales

These lymph nodes occur

regularly in ruminants but are
inconstant in the horse and pig.

They lie on the caudals ternum

along the course of the A.
thoracica interna: are covered by
the M. transverses thoracis.

Drainage area include ribs and

sternum, the muscles of the
thoracic wall, abdomen and
pectoral girdle, the diaphragm,
mediastinum, trachea, esophagus,
heart, pericardium and liver.
Figure 9.Caudal sternal lymph nodes ( ventro-lateral view) [Raymond, A.R., & Stanley, D. 1984]
Efferents go to the cranial sternal
lymph nodes

Lc. mediastinale
This lymphocentre include three groups of lymph nodes namely:

• Lnn. mediastinales craniales

• Lnn. mediastinales medii
• Lnn. mediastinales caudales

All the three goups drain the same areas which include muscles of the thorax, neck and shoulder,
the diaphragm, pleura, mediastinum, esophagus, trachea, heart, pericardium, aorta, spleen and
lives.

Afferents are received from the following nodes: caudal deep cervical, middle and caudal
mediastinal, intercostals and thoracic aorta. It also receives lymph from the lungs via the
bronchial lymphocentre.

Efferents go to the thoracic duct or drain into one of the region’s large veins. Efferents from the
caudal group may also drain to thoracic aortic lymph nodes.

Lymph nodes, lymph centres and lymph drainage of sheep and goats. Page 9
 Lnn. mediastinales caudales

Lie in the caudal mediastinum,

between the aorta and the
esophagus. A single, very large
lymph node (like the one
pointed by right arrow ) ususlly
occur in ruminants. The size and
position of this node makes it
clinically important.

Figure 10. Caudal mediastinal lymph nodes ( left dorso-lateral view) [ Raymond, A.R., & Stanley, D. 1984.]

Lnn. mediastinalis
medii

Lie on the base of

the heart and to the
right of the aortic
arch, trachea and
esophagus.

Absent in a pig.

Figure 11. Crainial and middle mediastinal lymph nodes. ( right view) [Raymond, A.R., & Stanley. 1984]

Lnn. mediastinales craniales

These lymph nodes occur in all species.

They lie in the cranial mediastinum and

adjacent to the trachea, esophagus and
large blood vessels cranial to the heart.

Lymph nodes, lymph centres and lymph drainage of sheep and goats. Page 10
 Lc. bronchale
This lymphocentre comprises the tracheobronchal lymph nodes that lie in the tracheal
bifurcation, and the pulmonary lymph nodes that lie within the lung parenchyma.

Ln. tracheobronchalis sinistra

Ln. tracheobronchalis cranialis
Lnn. pulmonales

The first two lymph nodes drain the lung, heart, pericardium and esophagus (but not the
trachea)

Lnn. pulmonales drain the lungs and bronchial tree.

Figure 12. Sheep lung showingpulmonary and tracheobronchal lymph nodes. [http://www.dakenclub.com/sheeplung]

Ln.
tracheobronchalis
sinistra.
Lnn. pulmonales
This node occur in
all species and lies These lymph nodes lie
cranial to the within the lung
bronchus, between parynchyma, adjacent to
the aortic arch and the bronchial tree.
the left pulmonary Although small, they are
Ln. tracheobronchalis examined during meat
cranialis inspection

This node lies cranial to the

Bronchus trachealis.

Lymph nodes, lymph centres and lymph drainage of sheep and goats. Page 11
References:
1. Bezuidenhout, A.J, Groenewald, H.B., Hornsveld, M., Soley, J.T., Turner, P.H.
Veterinary Anatomy, A Study and Dissection Guide. Fith Edition 2000: Volume 2.
Chapter 30, 34, 35, 37, 41,45 35.University of Pretoria, Department of Anatomy and
Physiology, (VCA 400).
2. Gheorghe M. Guide to regional ruminant anatomy based on the dissection of the goat.
2001. Iowa State University press. Pages 3-59.
3. Grist, A. Ovine meat inspection – Anatomy, physiology and disease conditions. 2006.
Nottinggham University Press. Pages 42-49.
4. Nickel, R.Schummer, A.Seiferle, E.The anatomy of The Domestic Animals 1981,
English Ed. Vol.3, pages 405-419.Verlag Paul Parey, Berlin, Hamburg
5. Popesko, P.Atlas of topographical anatomy of the domestic animals1979,3rd Ed. Vol. 1,
pages 62-87. Saunders.
6. Raymond, A.R., & Stanley D. Slide Atlas of Ruminant Anatomy. Gower Medical
publishing, 1984.
7. http://www.danekeclublambs.com/sheepan.html.[Accessed on 20th August 2010]

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