Studies on normal architecture of subserosal lymph vessels of the human liver

Abstract

The author attempted to study the normal architecture of capsular lymph vessels of the liver by means of injection method.
238 autopsied livers were submitted for this study. India-ink or barium gelatin solution was injected directly into fine lymph vessels in the hepatic capsule. The results obtained were as follows: (1) The capsular (subserosal) lymphatics of the human liver was divided into three categories, i.e., hepatic lymph capillaries, hepatic lymph vessels, and hepatic lymph truncus. The latter two had the valve structure. (2) The hepatic lymph capillaries formed very fine mesh-works in the subserosal connective tissue and about 100 lymph capillary loops covered the surface side of an individual liver lobule. These hapatic lymph capillaries were converging into the collecting tube of hepatic lymph capillaries and draining into the hepatic lymph vessel. (3) The hepatic lymph vessels, in which many collecting tubes of hepatic lymph capillaries drained, run serpentiformly in the capsular connective tissue. Abundunt anastomoses were revealed between the each other. (4) The hepatic lymph truncus corresponded to the duct converging many hepatic lymph vessels and leading hepatic lymph to the extrahepatic lymph route. (5) Eight groups of the hepatic lymph truncus on the anterior upper surface of the liver and six groups on the inferior (visceral) surface were determined. Outflow routes of each hepatic lymph truncus group were described in detail.