Pre-auricular nodes
Nodi preauriculares
Lymph nodes in front of the ear, just ahead of the tragus, lying on the parotid gland beside the superficial temporal vessels.
At a glance
- English
- Pre-auricular nodes
- Latin (TA2)
- Nodi preauriculares
- System
- Lymphatic
- Region
- Head
- Side
- Paired, left and right
About the pre-auricular nodes
The pre-auricular nodes are part of the parotid group of the head. They lie immediately in front of the ear, ahead of the tragus, on or just within the upper part of the parotid gland under its fascia. There are usually one to three, and they lie alongside the superficial temporal artery and vein as these vessels rise from the gland to the temple.
The auriculotemporal nerve runs up beside the same vessels, and the upper branches of the facial nerve leave the gland close by on their way to the forehead and eyelids. The temporomandibular joint lies deep and just in front. Below, the nodes are continuous with those inside the gland and those below the ear.
Lymph comes to them from the side of the forehead and temple, from the lateral parts of both eyelids and from the conjunctiva at the outer corner of the eye, and from the front of the auricle and outer ear canal. Their outflow passes down to the superior deep cervical nodes, often through the other parotid nodes.
A tender node in front of the ear is a classic finding in viral conjunctivitis, particularly adenovirus infection, and helps tell it from bacterial conjunctivitis. It is also seen in the oculoglandular syndrome, where an eye infection is paired with enlargement of this node. Skin cancers of the temple, forehead, eyelid and ear may spread here, which can lead to surgery on the parotid gland with care for the facial nerve.
Course and drainage
- Begins at
- Afferent vessels from the forehead and temple, the lateral eyelids and conjunctiva, and the front of the auricle and external acoustic meatus.
- Drains into
- Efferent vessels drain to the superior deep cervical nodes, often through the other parotid nodes.
- Drains
- Filters lymph from the side of the face, eyelids and ear. A tender node is typical of viral conjunctivitis; a hard node may be spread from a skin cancer of the temple, eyelid or ear.
Anthromica
See the pre-auricular nodes where it really sits, with every layer of the body around it.
- Every layer, one body. Peel from muscle to bone, nerve, vessel and organ, and turn it any way.
- English and Latin. Every structure named the way your exam names it.
- Quiz until it sticks. Short drills on the structures you keep missing.
Free to start. No card.
