Thorax and Breast

Abstract

In contrast to the lymphatic structures of other parts of the body, the intrathoracic lymphatic system is characterized by the black coloration resulting from the inhalation of dust and carbonaceous pigment. The embryonic origin of the peculiar intrathoracic pathways of lymphatic drainage was first studied by Sabin [43]. A lymphatic bud extends from the left jugular venous sac to form the lymphatics of the esophagus, the thoracic portion of the aorta, the terminal portion of the thoracic duct and the upper segments of the left lung. A lymphatic bud from the right jugular venous sac gives origin to the lymphatics of the heart and the remaining parts of the lung, except the basal segments of the lower lobes, whose lymphatics arise from the retroperitoneal lymph sac in the upper abdomen [10].