Hepatic lymphatics: anatomy and related diseases

Pupulim, Lawrence; Vilgrain, Valérie; Ronot, Maxime; Becker, Christoph; Breguet, Romain; Terraz, Sylvain

doi:10.1007/s00261-015-0350-y

Scientific article

English

Hepatic lymphatics: anatomy and related diseases

Contributors

Pupulim, Lawrence; Vilgrain, Valérie; Ronot, Maxime; Becker, Christoph; Breguet, Romain; Terraz, Sylvain

Published in

Abdominal imaging, vol. 40, no. 6, p. 1997-2011

Publication date

2015

Abstract

The liver normally produces a large amount of lymph. It is estimated that between 25% and 50% of the lymph received by the thoracic duct comes from the liver. In normal conditions, hepatic lymphatics are not depicted on cross-sectional imaging. They are divided in lymphatics of deep system (lymphatics following the hepatic veins and the portal tract) and those of superficial system (convex surface and inferior surface). A variety of diseases may affect hepatic lymphatics and in general they manifest as lymphedema, lymphatic mass, or cystic lesions. Abnormal distended lymphatics are especially seen in periportal spaces as linear hypoattenuations on CT or strong linear hyperintensities on heavily T2-weighted MR imaging. Lymphatic tumor spread as in lymphoma and lymphangitic carcinomatosis manifests as periportal masses and regional lymph node enlargement. Lymphatic disruption after trauma or surgery is depicted as perihepatic fluid collections of lymph (lymphocele). Lymphatic malformation such as lymphangioma is seen on imaging as cystic spaces of variable size.

UNIGE affiliation entities

Faculté de médecine / Section de médecine clinique / Département de radiologie et informatique médicale

UNIGE research groups

Citation (ISO format)

PUPULIM, Lawrence et al. Hepatic lymphatics: anatomy and related diseases. In: Abdominal imaging, 2015, vol. 40, n° 6, p. 1997–2011. doi: 10.1007/s00261-015-0350-y

Article (Published version)

Identifiers

PID : unige:79916
DOI : 10.1007/s00261-015-0350-y
PMID : 25579171

Journal ISSN

0942-8925

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15/03/2023 00:05:19

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31/10/2024 02:35:36

Hepatic lymphatics: anatomy and related diseases

Contributors

Published in

Publication date

Abstract

UNIGE affiliation entities

UNIGE research groups

Citation (ISO format)

Main files (1)

Identifiers

Journal ISSN

Technical informations

Creation

First validation

Update

Status update

Last indexation