Which statement accurately describes the submental lymph node location?

• A. Submental lymph nodes are located in the midline a few centimeters behind the tip of the mandible
• B. Submental lymph nodes are located midway between the angle and the tip of the mandible
• C. Submental lymph nodes are located near the ear
• D. Submental lymph nodes are located along the sternocleidomastoid

Answer: (A)

Submental lymph nodes sit in the midline under the chin, in the submental triangle between the anterior bellies of the digastric muscles. They’re a few centimeters behind the tip of the mandible, which places them at the chin’s midline rather than off to the sides or higher up in the neck. This location makes them the first-order drainage for areas like the lower lip, floor of the mouth, tongue tip, and chin.

This helps explain why the other descriptions don’t fit: being midway between the angle and tip of the mandible refers to the submandibular group, which runs along the lower border of the mandible; near the ear points to preauricular/parotid regions; along the sternocleidomastoid points to other cervical groups.