Lung lymphatic anatomy and correlates Dean E. Schraufnagel  Pathophysiology  Volume 17, Issue 4, Pages 337-343 (September 2010) DOI: 10.1016/j.pathophys.2009.10.008 Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd Terms and Conditions

Fig. 1 Lymphatics on the pleural surface. (A) A cast of prelymphatics (P), or tissue planes crossed by collagen and other connective tissue. A conduit lymphatic (C) arises from the prelymphatic. The free access to the lymphatics from the tissue space allows the immune system to sample the entire lung. (B) Casts of reservoir lymphatics (R), which are in close association with prelymphatics (P). Reservoir lymphatics are characteristically flat structures with budding blind pouches and (C) shows them joining with conduit lymphatics (C). (D) A conduit lymphatic (C) on the pleural surface. The lack of strict cylindrical shape is a feature that distinguished conduit lymphatics from the pleural blood capillaries beneath it. A small patch of reservoir lymphatics (R) is present. These scanning electron microscopic images are of vascular and lymphatic casts on the pleural surface of rats exposed to a hyperoxic environment. Pathophysiology 2010 17, 337-343DOI: (10.1016/j.pathophys.2009.10.008) Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd Terms and Conditions

Fig. 2 Lymphatics within the lung occur around blood vessels and airways. (A) Saccular and tubulo-saccular lymphatics (S) found around blood vessels in states of lymphatic expansion. They empty into conduit lymphatics that transport lymph to hilar nodes. (B) Another image of a cast conduit lymphatic (C) traveling with a pulmonary vein. This conduit lymphatic around the vein is flatter than the one shown in (A). Veins and their lymphatics travel in the interlobular septa. Pulmonary and bronchial arteries, bronchioles, and lymphatics lie in bronchovascular bundles in the center of a pulmonary lobule. (C) The cast of the lymphatics around a bronchus (Br) that has been digested. The tubulo-saccular (S) and conduit (C) lymphatics have the same form as those around the artery in the bronchovascular bundle. These scanning electron microscopic images are of the lymphatic casts of rats exposed to hyperoxia. Pathophysiology 2010 17, 337-343DOI: (10.1016/j.pathophys.2009.10.008) Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd Terms and Conditions

Fig. 3 Conduit lymphatics. (A) An enlarged conduit lymphatic (C) adjacent to a blood vessel (BV) and saccular lymphatics (S); (B) An enlarged conduit lymphatic adjacent to a pulmonary artery (a). The pulmonary artery has oval endothelial nuclear impressions and is more tubular than the conduit lymphatic, which has a fluctuating diameter. (C) An intrapulmonary conduit lymphatic (IC) not in a bronchovascular bundle. These thin lymphatic vessels have central grooves, stretch long distances, and often twist. At times, 4 or 5 branches may join at one place. These scanning electron microscopic images are of lymphatic casts of rats exposed to hyperoxia. Pathophysiology 2010 17, 337-343DOI: (10.1016/j.pathophys.2009.10.008) Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd Terms and Conditions