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Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy
Published in: Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy 7/2007

01-10-2007 | Original Article

Extramural lymphatic drainage from the thoracic esophagus based on minute cadaveric dissections: fundamentals for the sentinel node navigation surgery for the thoracic esophageal cancers

Authors: Hiroyuki Saito, Tatsuo Sato, Masaru Miyazaki

Published in: Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy | Issue 7/2007

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Abstract

In order to elucidate the lymphatic pathways from the thoracic esophagus, minute dissection of five adult cadavers, from the neck through the diaphragm, was performed. Peri-esophageal lymphatics were dissected from both the anterior and posterior aspects. The topographical differences between the right and left lymphatic drainage were revealed. The right lymphatic drainage system (RDS) was basically longitudinal and multi-stationed. Longitudinal lymphatics were relatively poorly developed in the left lymphatic drainage system (LDS), and direct drainage to the thoracic duct from the left wall of the thoracic esophagus, was frequently observed. The right uppermost thoracic paratracheal node received almost all levels of the right esophageal wall, and this node was thought to be the key node in the RDS. A contralateral lymphatic pathway was relatively frequently observed in the middle and lower thoracic esophagus. These results seemed to be in agreement with the anatomical and clinicopathological data in the literature, and might serve as a basis for sentinel node navigation surgery for the thoracic esophageal cancers.
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Metadata
Title
Extramural lymphatic drainage from the thoracic esophagus based on minute cadaveric dissections: fundamentals for the sentinel node navigation surgery for the thoracic esophageal cancers
Authors
Hiroyuki Saito
Tatsuo Sato
Masaru Miyazaki
Publication date
01-10-2007
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy / Issue 7/2007
Print ISSN: 0930-1038
Electronic ISSN: 1279-8517
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-007-0257-6

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