internal iliac node, a node in one of seven groups of parietal lymph nodes serving the abdomen and the pelvis. The internal iliac nodes surround the internal iliac vessels and receive lymphatic vessels corresponding to the branches of the internal iliac artery. Their afferent vessels drain lymph from the pelvic viscera, the buttocks, and the dorsal portions of the thighs. Their efferent vessels end in the common iliac nodes. Compare external iliac node, iliac circumflex node. See also lymph, lymphatic system, lymph node.
