What Is the Primary Function of the Lymph Nodes?

It is an oval or broad bean-shaped lymphoid body with different sizes and gray-red when fresh. It is interspersed with the lymphatic vessels and communicates with the lymphatic vessels. The lymph node is convex on one side, and the lymph vessels connected to this side are called input lymph vessels; the other side is recessed to form a lymph node portal, and the lymph vessels connected to this side (port) are referred to as output lymph vessels. The output tube of each lymph node is less than the input tube, and the output tube of one lymph node may be the input tube of another lymph node. The main functions of lymph nodes are: filtering the lymph, removing bacteria and foreign bodies, and producing lymphocytes and antibodies.

It is an oval or broad bean-shaped lymphoid body with different sizes and gray-red when fresh. It is interspersed with the lymphatic vessels and communicates with the lymphatic vessels. The lymph node is convex on one side, and the lymph vessels connected to this side are called input lymph vessels; the other side is recessed to form a lymph node portal, and the lymph vessels connected to this side (port) are referred to as output lymph vessels. The output tube of each lymph node is less than the input tube, and the output tube of one lymph node may be the input tube of another lymph node. The main functions of lymph nodes are: filtering the lymph, removing bacteria and foreign bodies, and producing lymphocytes and antibodies.

Western Medicine Name

Lymph nodes

Chinese Medicine Name

lymph

English name

Lymph node

Disease site

lymph

The main symptoms

Fever, sweating, fatigue, increased erythrocyte sedimentation,

Main cause

Unhealthy diet, purulent infections, tumors

Multiple groups

teens

Contagious

Non-contagious

way for spreading

No transmission

Whether to enter health insurance

Yes

Pronunciation

lín b jié

Lymph node composition:

Lymph nodes are mainly composed of lymph tissue and lymphatic sinuses. The outer bread is densely connected by a connective tissue capsule. The capsule extends into the lymph node to form a number of spaces or trabecules, forming a reticular stent of the lymph node, and substantially dividing the lymph node into many parts. The peripheral part of the lymph node is called the cortex, which contains some clumps of lymphocytes, called lymph nodules. The center of the nodule often has cell division and proliferation, so it is called the germinal center. The central part of the lymph nodes is called the medulla, which is mainly composed of lymphoid myelin. In the lymph nodes, all the channels that the lymph follows are called lymphatic sinuses. The lymph enters the lymphatic sinuses of the lymph nodes from the input tube, and then flows out through the output tube. When the lymph flows through the lymph sinuses, the lymph acquires the lymphocytes produced by the lymphatic tissue. There are a large number of lymph nodes, which are shallow and deep. They are usually distributed around the blood vessels, and they are mostly clustered in the recesses of the body, such as near the axilla, groin, organ hilum, or large blood vessels in the chest and abdomen.

Clinical significance of lymph nodes :

Lymph vessels of various parts or organs of the human body generally first reach the nearby local lymph nodes. When a part of the body or an organ becomes diseased or inflamed, foreign bodies such as bacteria and toxins can spread with the lymph to the corresponding lymph nodes through the lymph vessels. The local lymph nodes have the function of blocking and removing these foreign bodies such as bacteria or toxins, and become a defensive barrier to prevent the spread and spread of lesions. At this time, the cells in the lymph node proliferate rapidly, function is strong, and the volume increases. Therefore, the local lymph node enlarges, which can reflect the pathological changes in the site where the lymph node contains the lymph. If the local lymph nodes cannot block and clear these bacteria or toxins, the lesions can also spread and spread far away along the output tube of the local lymph nodes. Therefore, it is of great clinical significance to understand the location of local lymph nodes, the range of lymphatic accommodation, and the direction of lymphatic drainage.

The role of lymph node ultrasound in the diagnosis of lymph nodes:

In the past, the diagnosis of lymph nodes was usually made by palpation by hand, but some lymph nodes were clinically inaccessible. These inaccessible lymph nodes were often smaller and deeper lymph nodes.

Ultrasound diagnosis is a non-invasive examination method, which can be repeated many times and the lymph nodes can be quantitatively evaluated. Therefore, ultrasound can be used as an ideal follow-up method. Ultrasound diagnosis is based on the size and structure of lymph nodes to evaluate the efficacy of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. When the lymph nodes shrink to more than 25% of the initial value, it is a positive response to radiotherapy. The typical radiotherapy response is that while the lymph nodes shrink, their outlines become unclear and the internal echo is uneven. In the early stage of treatment of malignant tumors, structural changes are often not obvious, and most of them change in the middle stage of chemotherapy, so this period is most suitable for follow-up. The advantage of ultrasound follow-up is not only in making accurate assessments of the lymph nodes, but also in making timely corrections to the exposure range.