Intrapulmonary lymph nodes
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
At the time the article was created Yuranga Weerakkody had no recorded disclosures.
View Yuranga Weerakkody's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Yuranga Weerakkody had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Yuranga Weerakkody's current disclosures- Intra-pulmonary lymph nodes
- Intra-pulmonary lymph node
- Lymph nodes within the lung
- Lymph nodes within the lungs
- Pulmonary lymph nodes
Intrapulmonary lymph nodes, or pulmonary lymph nodes, are normal lymph nodes found within the lung parenchyma itself.
Epidemiology
They are commonly found during the assessment of CTs of the chest and are, sometimes, difficult to distinguish from pulmonary nodules.
Some publications suggest at they may represent 24–44% of noncalcified nodules in a "lung cancer screening setting" 7 and may represent 1-66% (wide range) of all nodules on CT scan.
Subtypes
The pulmonary lymph nodes are divided into subtypes accordingly to their location:
-
at the bifurcation of the bronchi, before the fourth branch
Radiographic features
CT
around 6 mm in size (usually reported range around 3-8.5 mm) 1
most tend to be below the carinal level (i.e. lower lobes and middle lobe 4)
nodules may be oval, round, triangular, trapezoidal or polygonal
may have sharply defined borders
tend to be solid and homogeneous and without calcification
some nodules may show a discrete thin tag extending to the pleura
References
- 1. Shaham D, Vazquez M, Bogot NR et-al. CT features of intrapulmonary lymph nodes confirmed by cytology. Clin Imaging. 2010;34 (3): 185-90. doi:10.1016/j.clinimag.2009.05.005 - Pubmed citation
- 2. Ahn MI, Gleeson TG, Chan IH et-al. Perifissural nodules seen at CT screening for lung cancer. Radiology. 2010;254 (3): 949-56. Radiology (full text) - doi:10.1148/radiol.09090031 - Pubmed citation
- 3. Kinoshita A, Nakano M, Suyama N et-al. Intrapulmonary lymph nodes. Intern. Med. 1995;33 (11): 727-9. Pubmed citation
- 4. Bankoff MS, McEniff NJ, Bhadelia RA et-al. Prevalence of pathologically proven intrapulmonary lymph nodes and their appearance on CT. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1996;167 (3): 629-30. doi:10.2214/ajr.167.3.8751667 - Pubmed citation
- 5. Suwatanapongched T, Gierada DS. CT of thoracic lymph nodes. Part I: anatomy and drainage. Br J Radiol. 2006;79 (947): 922-8. Br J Radiol (full text) - doi:10.1259/bjr/26411607 - Pubmed citation
- 6. Suwatanapongched T, Gierada DS. CT of thoracic lymph nodes. Part II: diseases and pitfalls. Br J Radiol. 2006;79 (948): 999-1000. doi:10.1259/bjr/82484604 - Pubmed citation
- 7. Schreuder A, Jacobs C, Scholten E, van Ginneken B, Schaefer-Prokop C, Prokop M. Typical CT Features of Intrapulmonary Lymph Nodes: A Review. Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging. 2020;2(4):e190159. doi:10.1148/ryct.2020190159 - Pubmed
Incoming Links
Related articles: Anatomy: Thoracic
- thoracic skeleton
- thoracic cage
- thoracic spine
- articulations
- muscles of the thorax
- diaphragm
- intercostal space
- intercostal muscles
- variant anatomy
- spaces of the thorax
- thoracic viscera
- lower respiratory tract
-
heart
- cardiac chambers
- heart valves
- cardiac fibrous skeleton
- innervation of the heart
- development of the heart
- cardiac wall
-
pericardium
- epicardium
- epicardial fat pad
- pericardial space
- oblique pericardial sinus
- transverse pericardial sinus
-
pericardial recesses
- aortic recesses
- pulmonic recesses
- postcaval recess
- pulmonary venous recesses
- pericardial ligaments
- myocardium
- endocardium
-
pericardium
- esophagus
- thymus
- breast
- arterial supply of the thorax
-
thoracic aorta (development)
-
ascending aorta
-
aortic root
- aortic annulus
-
coronary arteries
- coronary arterial dominance
- myocardial segments
-
left main coronary artery (LMCA)
- ramus intermedius artery (RI)
-
circumflex artery (LCx)
- obtuse marginal branches (OM1, OM2, etc))
- Kugel's artery
-
left anterior descending artery (LAD)
- diagonal branches (D1, D2, etc)
- septal perforators (S1, S2, etc)
-
right coronary artery (RCA)
- conus artery
- sinoatrial nodal artery
- acute marginal branches (AM1, AM2, etc)
- inferior interventricular artery (PDA)
- posterior left ventricular artery (PLV)
- congenital anomalies
- sinotubular junction
-
aortic root
- aortic arch
- aortic isthmus
- descending aorta
-
ascending aorta
- pulmonary trunk
-
thoracic aorta (development)
- venous drainage of the thorax
- superior vena cava (SVC)
- inferior vena cava (IVC)
-
coronary veins
-
cardiac veins which drain into the coronary sinus
- great cardiac vein
- middle cardiac vein
- small cardiac vein
- posterior vein of the left ventricle
- vein of Marshall (oblique vein of the left atrium)
- anterior cardiac veins
- venae cordis minimae (smallest cardiac veins or thebesian veins)
-
cardiac veins which drain into the coronary sinus
- pulmonary veins
- bronchial veins
- thoracoepigastric vein
- lymphatics of the thorax
- innervation of the thorax
