Lymph Vessels of the Muscles of the Neck and Thorax
The lymph vessels draining the muscles located on the neck and thorax (Mm. intercostales, M. transversus costarum, M. serratus dorsalis inspiratorius, M. splenius, M. iliocostalis, M. longissimus dorsi and cervicis and capitis, M. spinalis et semispinalis dorsi and cervicis, Mm. recti capitis dorsales, Mm. obliqui capitis, M. sternohyoideus and sternothyroideus, M. scalenus, M. longus colli and capitis, M. rectus capitis ventralis, M. transversus thoracis) drain to a large number (8 to 9) of lymph node groups: the cranial mediastinal lymph nodes (almost exclusively to the main cranial mediastinal lymph node), the intercostal lymph node, the sternal lymph node, the lumbar aortic lymph nodes (including the cranial lumbar aortic lymph node), the superficial and deep cervical lymph nodes, and the retropharyngeal lymph nodes.
The lymph vessels of the M. serratus dorsalis inspiratorius, M. longissimus cervicis, M. spinalis, M. semispinalis dorsi and cervicis, and M. scalenus drain to the cranial mediastinal lymph nodes, though if an intercostal lymph node is present, some of the lymph vessels will also drain to it. The M. transversus thoracis drains only to the sternal lymph node, the M. recti capiti dorsales, the M. obliqui capitis, and the M. rectus capitis ventralis to the retropharyngeal lymph nodes, the M. transversus costarum to the sternal and cranial mediastinal lymph nodes, the Mm. intercostales to the sternal, cranial mediastinal, intercostal, and cranial lumbar aortic lymph nodes, the M. ileocostalis and longissimus dorsi to the lumbar aortic lymph nodes (including the cranial lumbar aortic lymph node) and the cranial mediastinal lymph nodes, the M. longissimus capitis to the retropharyngeal lymph nodes and the cranial mediastinal lymph nodes, the M. longus capitis and the M. longus colli to the medial retropharyngeal, cranial mediastinal, and caudal cervical lymph nodes, and finally the M. splenius, M. sternohyoideus, and M. sternothyroideus drain to the medial retropharyngeal, cranial mediastinal, caudal cervical, and superficial cervical lymph nodes.
