Axillary lymph nodes

Function

The axillary nodes — 20 to 30 of them in five groups — filter the lymph of the entire upper limb, the chest wall and, critically, the breast. They are the first station of breast cancer's spread, which is why sentinel node biopsy guides staging and adjuvant decisions.

They swell in limb infections and cat-scratch disease alike; enlarged axillary nodes in a woman demand breast examination before anything else.

Blood supply

Axillary artery branches.

Nerve supply

Sympathetic with the vessels.

Clinical relevance

Sentinel node metastasis

The first draining node's status — mapped with dye and isotope — directs axillary clearance and prognosis.

Lymphoedema

Nodal clearance or radiotherapy scars the lymphatic pathways — the swollen arm that follows breast cancer treatment.

Related conditions

• Breast cancer
• Lymphoma