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Updated: Apr 15, 2026

Intravital Microscopy of the Inguinal Lymph Node
Published on: April 4, 2011
The surgical anatomy of the inguinal lymphatics
Alper Cesmebasi1, Amanda Baker, Maira Du Plessis
1Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, St. George's University, Grenada, West Indies.
Abstract:
Knowledge of the lymphatic system plays critical importance in surgical oncology. The study of the lymphatic system and its role in tumor metastasis continues to advance with new anatomical and surgical studies, and with a new study, we can gain a better understanding on how aggressive surgeons need to be with nodal dissection while balancing the complications with overly aggressive approaches. The lymphatics of the inguinal region represent a network of lymph nodes and vessels, which act as the bridge among the lower extremities, pelvis, perineum, and rest of the body. These lymph nodes are of particular importance in the metastatic spread of genitourinary and lower gastrointestinal epithelial cancer to the inguinal nodes. The aim of this article is to reveal the literature with regard to the inguinal lymph nodes and their relation in various carcinomas.
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