Quick Facts
Location: Anterior to abdominal aorta.
Drainage: Gastrointestinal tract.
Direction of Flow: Cisterna chyli > thoracic duct.
Related parts of the anatomy
Description:
Description: (Location & Drainage)
The intestinal trunks receive lymphatic drainage from the celiac, superior mesenteric and inferior mesenteric lymph nodes, which receive lymph from the entire gastrointestinal tract.
The intestinal and left lumbar trunks form the cisterna chyli (45%). The right lumbar trunk most commonly joins the left lumbar trunk (60%) or the intestinal trunk (40%) (Loukas et al., 2007). In other cases (30%), the cisterna chyli is part formed by the right lumbar trunk, in addition to other structures, such as the left lumbar trunk, intestinal trunk, vessels from the retroaortic lymph nodes and intercostal lymph node vessels.
List of Clinical Correlates
—Chylous ascites
References
Loukas, M., Wartmann, C. T., Louis, R. G., Tubbs, R. S., Salter, E. G., Gupta, A. A. and Curry, B. (2007) 'Cisterna chyli: a detailed anatomic investigation', Clin Anat, 20(6), pp. 683-8.
Description:
Description: (Location & Drainage)
The intestinal trunks receive lymphatic drainage from the celiac, superior mesenteric and inferior mesenteric lymph nodes, which receive lymph from the entire gastrointestinal tract.
The intestinal and left lumbar trunks form the cisterna chyli (45%). The right lumbar trunk most commonly joins the left lumbar trunk (60%) or the intestinal trunk (40%) (Loukas et al., 2007). In other cases (30%), the cisterna chyli is part formed by the right lumbar trunk, in addition to other structures, such as the left lumbar trunk, intestinal trunk, vessels from the retroaortic lymph nodes and intercostal lymph node vessels.
