title: Experimental study of lymphatico-venous communications after thoracic duct ligature in dogs.
abstract: The authors performed the ligature and transection of the thoracic duct in 36 dogs, 14 male and 22 female in order to investigate the existence of lymphatico-venous communications between the thoracic duct and veins situated in thorax, especially visceral veins. The animals were divided in 6 groups (5 experimental and 1 control), and were studied 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 days after the ligature. The existence of lymphatico-venous communications was observed in 18 cases (60%): 34.1% in esophageal veins; 34.1% in intercostal veins; 22.7% in azygous vein and 9.1% in the proper vein of the longus colli. The communications between the duct and the intercostal veins were more frequent in the veins from the left antimere; as for the azygous, the communications were more frequent in the segment between the 6th and 7th intercostal veins. No communications were observed in the control animals.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001401:Azygos Vein / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D008026:Ligation; D008208:Lymphatic System / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008297:Male; D013909:Thorax; D013997:Time Factors; D014680:Veins / Q000033:anatomy & histology*