Lymph Vessels of the Skin of the Ventral and Cranial-Ventral Thoracic Wall

The lymph vessels of the skin of the ventral thoracic wall (Figure 13), in the region caudal to the olecranon, drain together with the lymph vessels of the lateral thoracic wall (see lymph vessels of the skin of the dorsal, lateral and ventral thoracic wall) to the axillary lymph node (Figure 13: 13). If an accessory axillary lymph node (Figure 13: 4) is present, some of the lymph vessels drain into it first. The lymph vessels of the skin of the remaining part of the ventral thoracic wall and those of the skin of the cranial thoracic wall drain to the superficial cervical lymph nodes. In the female dog, lymph vessels, particularly those of the skin of the cranial 2 or 3 teats, may enter the thoracic cavity and drain into the sternal lymph node (see lymph vessels of the mammary glands).