Quick Facts
Location: Posterior to the inferior vena cava and superior to the right lumbar lymph nodes.
Drainage: Precaval, retrocaval, lateral caval, and intermediate lumbar lymph nodes.
Direction of Flow: cisterna chyli > thoracic duct.
Related parts of the anatomy
Description:
Description: (Location & Drainage)
The right lumbar trunk receives lymphatic drainage from the right lumbar lymph nodes (the precaval, lateral caval and retrocaval lymph nodes) and the intermediate lumbar lymph nodes. Efferent vessels from the aforementioned nodes unite forming an ascending lumbar trunk.
In the case where the left lumbar and intestinal 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 partly formed by the right lumbar trunk, along with other structures including 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 right lumbar trunk receives lymphatic drainage from the right lumbar lymph nodes (the precaval, lateral caval and retrocaval lymph nodes) and the intermediate lumbar lymph nodes. Efferent vessels from the aforementioned nodes unite forming an ascending lumbar trunk.
In the case where the left lumbar and intestinal 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 partly formed by the right lumbar trunk, along with other structures including the left lumbar trunk, intestinal trunk, vessels from the retroaortic lymph nodes and intercostal lymph node vessels.
