Posterior triangle of the neck which divides the space into two triangles: A) Nerves and plexuses: B) Vessels: C) Lymph nodes: D) Muscles: The accessory nerve (CN XI) is particularly vulnerable to damage during lymph node biopsy. Damage results in an inability to shrug the shoulders or raise the arm above the head, particularly due to compromised trapezius muscle innervation. The Internal jugular vein's superficial location within the posterior triangle also makes it vulnerable to injury. Posterior triangle of the neck The posterior triangle (or lateral cervical region) is a region of the neck. It has the following boundaries: Apex: Union of the sternocleidomastoid and
Head and neck cancer are fundamentally distinct diseases. Although early-stage head and neck cancers (especially laryngeal and oral cavity) have high cure rates, up to 50% of people with head and neck cancer present with advanced disease. Cure rates decrease in locally advanced cases, whose probability of cure is inversely related to tumor size and even more so to the extent of regional node involvement. Consensus panels in America (AJCC) and Europe (UICC) have established staging systems for head and neck squamous-cell cancers. These staging systems attempt to standardize clinical trial criteria for research studies, and attempt to define prognostic categories of disease. Squamous