supraclavicular lymph nodes
Last reviewed 01/2018
Supraclavicular lymph nodes are a group nodes at the bottom of the deep cervical chain within the neck. They sit in the fascia within the supraclavicular fossa just lateral to the clavicular head of sternocleidomastoid.
They receive efferent lymphatic flow from:
- apical axillary nodes
- superior cervical nodes
- internal thoracic chain
Therefore, enlargement of a supraclavicular nodes - clinically noted as Virchow's node - may be due to pathology in the territories of the:
- breast
- arm
- lateral or posterior thoracic wall
- face
- anterior scalp
- anterior tongue
- thyroid gland
- mediastinum
- upper abdominal viscera