Right gastric nodes

At a glance

English

Right gastric nodes

Latin (TA2)

Nodi gastrici dextri caudales

System

Lymphatic

Region

Trunk

Side

Single, on the midline

About the right gastric nodes

The gastric nodes follow the arteries of the stomach. Along the lesser curvature run two groups: the left gastric nodes on the upper part near the cardia, and the right gastric nodes on the lower part near the pylorus. Clinicians often call the right group the suprapyloric nodes.

The right gastric artery usually arises from the common or proper hepatic artery and runs to the left along the lesser curvature between the two layers of the lesser omentum, ending by joining the left gastric artery. The nodes lie along it in the lesser omentum, above the pylorus and the first part of the duodenum, close to the hepatoduodenal ligament with the bile duct, hepatic artery and portal vein.

Lymph reaches them from the lower part of the lesser curvature and the pyloric part of the stomach, on both its front and back surfaces. From here it passes to the hepatic nodes along the hepatic artery and so to the coeliac nodes around the coeliac trunk, then to the intestinal trunk.

In stomach cancer, especially of the antrum and pylorus, these nodes are among the first reached. They are removed with the lesser omentum in a standard gastrectomy, and the surgeon divides the right gastric artery at its origin to take them. Their involvement, along with that of the other perigastric nodes, forms part of the staging of the tumour.

Course and drainage

Begins at

Afferent vessels from the pyloric part of the stomach and the lower lesser curvature, front and back.

Drains into

Efferent vessels pass to the hepatic nodes and then to the coeliac nodes.

Drains

Drain the pyloric region of the stomach. An early station for cancer of the distal stomach, removed in gastrectomy and used in staging.