From the Research
The structure located anterior to the psoas muscle, caudal to the lower pole of the kidney in the left lower quadrant that is part of the lymphatic system is the left para-aortic lymph nodes. These lymph nodes are positioned along the abdominal aorta and are important components of the retroperitoneal lymphatic drainage system. They receive lymphatic drainage from the lower extremities, pelvic organs, kidneys, and adrenal glands.
Key Points
- The left para-aortic lymph nodes specifically drain structures on the left side of the body and ultimately connect to the thoracic duct, which is the main lymphatic vessel that returns lymph to the venous circulation 1.
- They play a crucial role in immune surveillance and filtering of lymphatic fluid before it returns to the bloodstream.
- These lymph nodes are clinically significant as they may become enlarged in cases of infection, inflammation, or malignancy affecting the structures they drain.
- The anatomy of the psoas muscle and its relationship to the lumbar plexus is important to consider in surgical approaches, such as lateral transpsoas interbody fusion 2.
- The position of the psoas muscle can be used as a proxy for the lumbar plexus position to identify patients who may be at risk for injury during surgery 2.
- The morphology of the psoas muscle can differ between supine and sitting magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the lumbar spine, which may have implications for lateral lumbar interbody fusion 3.