What Is a Virchow Node? Where Does Its Name Come From?

A Virchow node is a sign of cancer metastasis and is a swollen lymph node, usually above the left collarbone.

Put another way, a Virchow node is a lymph node and part of the lymphatic system. It is the terminal node of the main lymphatic channel passing through the chest cavity, called the “thoracic duct.”

A Virchow node is seen most commonly in stomach cancer, although it can also develop in other cancers.

A Virchow node has been described as a site of seeding or spread for cancers arising in the intestines, urogenital (urinary) system, esophagus, common bile duct, liver, pancreas, and lungs. It has also been reported with squamous cell carcinoma and lymphoma.

The History of the Name Virchow Node

Dr. Rudolf Virchow is the source of the name Virchow node. He was born in Prussia (now Poland) in 1821 and completed his medical education in Berlin in 1843.

In 1848, Dr. Virchow described supraclavicular lymphadenopathy (enlarged lymph nodes above the collarbone) in association with stomach, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers. Dr. Virchow considered this swollen lymph node the endpoint of cancers spreading through the lymphatic channel of the lung/chest cavity.

“Thus, particularly in cancers of the stomach, pancreas, ovaries, and so on, the process gradually spreads from the lower abdominal glands along the thoracic duct to the glands in the posterior mediastinum, and eventually involves the jugular glands around the junction of the neck.” Dr. Virchow wrote.

In the United States, Virchow's node was named for Dr. Virchow because of this description. In France, the phenomenon was called “Troisier's sign,” after French physician Charles Emile Troisier, who reported it in 1889; today, however, it is known worldwide as the Virchow node.

Dr. Virchow's other scientific contributions include writing one of the first descriptions of leukemia and coining terms to describe thrombosis and embolism (a problem of blood clotting inside a vessel).

The First Correct Insight into the Origin of Cancer

One of his most important contributions was recognizing that all human diseases have a cellular basis. Believing that cancer arose from severe irritation in tissues (the “chronic irritation theory”), Dr. Virchow was the first to correctly link the origin of cancer cells to normal cells.

Founder of Cellular Pathology

The chronic irritation theory is now known as chronic inflammation, and Dr. Virchow said he suspected this was the cause of cancer—a prediction that proved largely correct. He stated that all cells, including cancer cells, arise from other cells. His discoveries and descriptions led us to recognize him as the founder of cellular pathology.

Together with his colleague Benno Reinhardt, he founded Archiv für pathologische Anatomie und Physiologie und für klinische Medizin. Now known as Virchows Archiv, the journal is the official journal of the European Society of Pathology.

Dr. Virchow is also known for founding the newspaper Die medicinische Reform (Medical Reform) and popularizing the term “social medicine.” He fought for physicians' rights and supported the idea that medical associations, such as medical chambers, should advocate for their members.

Dr. Virchow died of heart failure in 1902 after a traumatic hip fracture.