SUMMARY

The lymph drainage of the bladder and ureters passes to the external, internal, and common iliac groups of nodes—a sequential chain of nodes that drains next to the lumbar (caval/aortic) nodes. The lymph of the upper ureters and kidneys drains directly into the superior lumbar nodes. In both cases, lymph from the lumbar nodes ultimately flows to the thoracic duct via the lumbar lymph trunks.