Gastric lymph node stations

The gastric lymph node stations were originally divided into 16 groups, as proposed by the Japanese Research Society for Gastric Cancer in 1963.

Gross anatomy

The stomach regions and their drainage into regional lymph nodes:

  • cardia and proximal lesser curvature drain into left gastric lymph nodes, then into celiac nodes
  • pylorus and distal lesser curvature drain into the right gastric lymph nodes
  • proximal part of greater curvature drains into the pancreaticosplenic nodes in the splenic hilum
  • distal part of greater curvature drains into the right gastroepiploic nodes and the pyloric nodes at the head of the pancreas
Stations
  • right cardia lymph nodes
  • left cardia lymph nodes
  • lymph nodes along the lesser curvature
  • lymph nodes along the greater curvature
  • suprapyloric group of lymph nodes or nodes along the right gastric artery
  • infrapyloric groups of lymph nodes
  • lymph nodes along the left gastric artery
  • lymph nodes along the common hepatic artery
  • lymph nodes around the celiac artery
  • lymph nodes at the splenic hilum
  • lymph nodes along the splenic artery
  • lymph nodes in the hepatoduodenal ligament
  • lymph nodes behind the pancreatic head
  • lymph nodes at the root of the mesentery or the superior mesenteric artery (SMA)
  • lymph nodes along the middle colic artery
  • para-aortic group of lymph nodes
  • See also