Tracheobronchial lymph nodes

These lymph nodes form four main groups including paratracheal, tracheobronchial, bronchopulmonary and pulmonary nodes.

1. Paratracheal nodes are located on either side of the trachea.
2. Tracheobronchial nodes can be divided into three nodes including left and right superior tracheobronchial nodes, and the inferior trachiobronchial node. The two superior tracheobronchial nodes are located on either side of trachea just before its bifurcation. The inferior tracheobronchial node is located just below the bifurcation in the angle between the two bronchi.
3. Bronchopulmonary nodes situate in the hilum of each lung.
4. Pulmonary nodes are embedded the lung substance on the larger branches of the bronchi.

The afferents of the tracheobronchial glands drain the lungs and bronchi, the thoracic part of the trachea and the heart; some of the efferents of the posterior mediastinal glands also end in this group.

Their efferent vessels ascend upon the trachea and unite with efferents of the internal mammary and anterior mediastinal glands to form the right and left bronchomediastinal trunks.

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 717 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

• Anatomy photo:21:09-0103 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center - "Mediastinum: Tracheobronchial Lymph Nodes and the Carina"
• http://www.instantanatomy.net/thorax/vessels/lnodes.html