title: Mucosal lymphatic vessels of the esophagus distant from the cancer margin: morphometrical analysis using 27 surgically removed specimens of squamous cell carcinoma located in the upper or middle thoracic esophagus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To clarify the configuration of the esophageal mucosal lymphatics distant from cancer using D2-40 immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  METHODS
  D2-40 immunohistochemistry for human lymphatic epithelium was performed at sites about 10 cm anal from the pathologically examined margin of upper or mid- thoracic squamous cell carcinoma (27 patients). We measured the entire length of mucosal lymphatic vessels within a x10 objective field (1.2 mm along the muscularis mucosae).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The present morphometrical study demonstrated significant individual differences in the amount of mucosal lymphatic vessels, within a range of more than 10-fold (8.4 mm-0.8 mm within an objective field). However, the difference in length of the mucosal lymphatic epithelium did not correlate with either N-factor, T-factor including cancer depth or prognosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A higher density of pre-existing mucosal lymphatic vessels may not always be correlated with larger numbers of nodal metastases. Lymphatic proliferation or dilation induced by cancer seems to occur irrespective of whether pre-existing vessels are rich or sparse.
authors.affiliation: Division of Surgery, Keiyu-kai Sapporo Hospital, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Hidefumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishimori
authors.forename: Shogo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Munekazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Naito
authors.forename: Gen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hosokawa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004947:Esophagus / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D042601:Lymphatic Vessels / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor