Blood Supply to the Lymphatic Vessels in the Leg: An Incidental Finding

There are no reports or images of the blood supply to the lymphatic vessels. One lower limb of an unembalmed human cadaver was studied. Hydrogen peroxide (6%) was applied to find the lymphatic vessels by using a surgical microscope. The vessels were injected with a radio-opaque mixture and dissected. During the dissection, several sites of paralymphatics arteriole nutrient (PAN) vessels were found in close proximity to collecting lymphatic vessels in the medial aspect of the leg. The caliber of the lymphatic vessels was about 1 mm. The caliber of PAN vessels was <0.1 mm. The blood vessels were seen running along the lymphatic vessels. Some of them crossing the lymphatics and supplying the fatty tissue nearby and some running parallel on the lymph vessel walls. Histology sections show different-sized PAN vessels containing blood cells situated close to the lymphatic wall and within the lymphatic vessel wall. PAN vessels have been found and described. It will upgrade our anatomical knowledge and also be of benefit for medical and/or scientific research. Clin. Anat. 23:451-454, 2010. (C) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.