What are the mid-sternum lymph nodes?

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Lymph nodes, found throughout the body, are small, round, kidney-shaped organs that are part of the immune system. They are linked by lymphatic vessels. Aside from storing B, T and immune cells, they function as traps for foreign particles. Swollen lymph nodes indicate illness, such as a strep throat or cancer. The biopsy of lymph nodes is a common procedure. During infection, the swelling of the glands is caused by the increase in B cells that are mobilizing to fight off the intruding germs. When the lymph nodes do not make their presence known, a person could easily forget those clusters of 500-600 lymph nodes. Some of the most significant of them are located in the abdomen, armpits, chest, groin and neck.

Lymph is the usually clear tissue fluid that travels between cells of the human body. It bathes them in water and nutrients, such as fats and proteins. It transports bacteria to the lymph nodes where they are destroyed. The presence of bacteria in the lymph nodes causes more disease-fighting cells to be produced. Lymph also carries cancer cells between the body’s cells. This is one way in which cancer metastasizes from one site in the body to another. Cancers of the lymphatic system itself are known as lymphomas. They are usually divided into Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Lymph interacts with blood and has a similar composition. The lymph system also includes lymph ducts and lymph vessels. Additional parts of the lymphatic system are the adenoids, spleen, thymus and tonsils, which also fight infection.

A fibrous capsule surrounds the lymph node. The cortex is directly beneath the node and below that is the medulla. The outer cortex contains B cells. The inner cortex is the home of T cells. The medulla’s two structures are the medullary cords, made of lymphatic tissue, and medullary sinuses. Lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell which develop in the thymus gland or bone marrow are located there. They attack foreign microscopic invaders. The ones derived from the thymus are known as T cells. The ones that come from the bone marrow are called B cells. Some lymphocytes are able to produce antibodies that detect and fight foreign antigen.

The lymph nodes located in the mid-sternum area of the body are the mammary lymph glands. They receive lymph from the medial side of the mammary glands, the medial area of the anterior chest wall and the muscles in that region. If Hodgkin’s Disease starts in the lymph nodes in the middle of the chest, it tends to spread outward to the chest wall and to the regions around the lungs and the heart. The mammary lymph nodes are also important for the determination of the stage at which the breast cancer of a particular patient is. If the lymph nodes contain less than 200 cancer cells, the disease is usually at a more curable stage.

Some of the causes of lymphoma are exposure to various toxins and chemicals, such as alcohol, acetone, benzene and turpentine. Agent Orange (used during the Vietnam War), hair dyes sold before 1980, herbicides, pesticides and HIV/AIDS have all been linked to lymphoma. More than 35 different types of lymphoma have been identified. Some of these carry a more optimistic prognosis than others. In addition to the types of lymphoma, the age and general health of the patient, gender, the presence or lack of symptoms and the stage of the disease at the time of detection are important factors affecting the outcome. There are many treatment centers for lymphoma. There are also numerous clinical trials during which people are given experimental drugs or other therapies.

Resource by Will

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