Right lymphatic duct

Lymph: Right lymphatic duct
The thoracic and right lymphatic ducts. (Right lymphatic duct is labeled at upper left.)
Terminal collecting trunks of right side. a. Jugular trunk. b. Subclavian trunk. c. Bronchomediastinal trunk. d. Right lymphatic trunk. e. Gland of internal mammary chain. f. Gland of deep cervical chain.
Latin	ductus lymphaticus dexter
Gray's	subject #176 691
Source	right jugular trunk
Drains to	internal jugular vein
Dorlands/Elsevier	Right lymphatic duct

The right lymphatic duct, about 1.25 cm. in length, courses along the medial border of the Scalenus anterior at the root of the neck. In most cases it ends in the right subclavian vein, at its angle of junction with the right internal jugular vein, although the termination can be variable.

Its orifice is guarded by two semilunar valves, which prevent the passage of venous blood into the duct.

Drainage

The right duct drains lymph fluid from:

• the upper right section of the trunk, (right thoracic cavity, via the right bronchomediastinal trunk),
• the right arm (via the right subclavian trunk),
• and right side of the head and neck (via the right jugular trunk),
• also the lower lobe of the left lung.

All other sections of the human body are drained by the thoracic duct.

History

The discovery of this structure has been credited to Niels Stensen.^[1]

Additional images

Deep lymph nodes and vessels of the thorax and abdomen (diagrammatic).

See also

• Lymphatic system
• Head and neck anatomy

References

1. ^ JE Skandalakis. Surgical Anatomy: The Embryologic And Anatomic Basis Of Modern Surgery (2004).

External links

• 845873212 at GPnotebook
• diagram at medem.com

This article related to the lymphatic system is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated.