Submandibular lymph nodes

Nodi lymphoidei submandibulares

Lymphatic & immuneLymphaticsHeadLeft and right

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What it is

Three to six nodes lying just under the lower border of the jaw, on and around the submandibular salivary gland. Each node is a bean-shaped filter 5-15 mm long with a fibrous capsule, an outer cortex of B-cell follicles, a T-cell paracortex and an inner medulla. Several afferent lymphatics enter its convex surface; one or two efferents leave at the hilum.

Function

Drain the cheeks, nose, lips, gums, teeth, the front of the tongue and the floor of the mouth, sending their lymph on to the deep cervical chain.

Size

3-6 nodes of 5-10 mm

Clinical note

The nodes most often felt as tender lumps under the jaw in dental abscesses, mouth ulcers and lip infections.