Which regions are drained by the axillary lymph nodes?

• A. Neck
• B. All of the above
• C. Upper extremities and upper quadrants of the trunk
• D. Upper extremities

Answer: (C)

Axillary lymph nodes drain the upper extremities and the upper portion of the trunk. Lymph from the arm, shoulder, chest wall, and the upper chest (the upper quadrant of the trunk) flows into the axillary nodes before continuing toward the central nodes and into the venous system. The neck is drained by cervical nodes, not the axillary basin, so including the neck would be incorrect. Similarly, upper extremities alone miss the trunk component. That combination—upper limbs and the upper trunk—best reflects where axillary nodes collect lymph. In manual lymph drainage practice, you route lymph flow toward the axillary region from these areas to support effective drainage.