Assessment of the Neck

• The Neck composed of:

  • Muscles
  • Ligaments
  • Cervical Vertebrae
• Contained within the neck:

  • Hyoid Bone
  • Major Blood Vessel
  • Larynx
  • Trachea
  • Thyroid Gland
• Muscles:

  1. Sternocleidomastoid
  2. Trapezius muscle

  • Two paired muscles that allow movement and provide support to the head and neck.
• Cervical Vertebrae ( c1 through c7 )

  • Located in the posterior neck and support the cranium.
• Vertebra Prominens is C7

  • Can easily palpated when the neck is flexed.
  • C7 as a landmark will help you locate other vertebrae.
• Lymph Nodes:

  • Located in the head and neck.
  • Filter lymph, a clear substance composed mostly of excess tissue fluid.
  • Filtering removes bacteria and tumor cells from lymph.
• Lymph Nodes Produce:

  1. Lymphocytes
  2. Antibodies

  • Defense against invasion by foreign substance assisting with body's immunity.
• General Routine Screening:

  1. Inspect head for size, shape, and configuration
  2. Palpate temporal arteries
  3. Palpate TMJ for swelling, tenderness, or crepitation
  4. Inspect neck for movement, position, symmetry, lumps, or masses
  5. Palpate trachea for position
  6. Palpate thyroid for enlargement, lumps, or masses
  7. Palpate for any enlarged or tender lymph nodes
  8. Auscultate for bruits over thyroid if enlarged
• Abnormal

  • Enlargements
  • Lymphadenopathy
  • Lymphoma
  • Toticollis
  • Spasmodic
  • Contraction of neck muscles
  • Thyroid
  • Goiter
• Lymph Nodes

  1. Preauricular
  2. Posterior auricular
  3. Occipital
  4. Superficial Cervical
  5. Deep Cervical Chain
  6. Posterior Cervical
  7. Supraclavicular
  8. Submamdibular
  9. Submental
  10. Tonsillar
• Cervical Nodes

  1. Pre - auricular nodes
  2. Tonsillar nodes
  3. Occipital nodes
  4. Post - auricular nodes
  5. Submandibular nodes
  6. Submental nodes
  7. Superficial Cervical nodes
  8. Posterior Cervical nodes
  9. Deep Cervical nodes
  10. Supraclavicular nodes
  11. Infraclavicular nodes