Lymph Vessels of the Head Muscles

The lymph vessels of the muscles of the head (with the exception of the muscles of the eye, the ear, the muscles in the lips, the muscles of the tongue, and the muscles of the hyoid bone, which are described elsewhere) mostly drain to the mandibular lymph nodes, though a smaller number of them drain to the parotid and medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes.

The lymph vessels of the individual head muscles drain to the following lymph nodes: the M. levator nasolabialis, M. caninus, M. levator labii superioris proprius, M. depressor labii inferioris, and the cheek muscles drain into the mandibular lymph nodes, the M. pterygoideus into the medial retropharyngeal lymph node, the M. temporalis and M. zygomaticus into the mandibular and parotid lymph nodes, the M. digastricus into the mandibular and medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes, and the M. masseter into the mandibular, medial retropharyngeal, and parotid lymph nodes.