The cisterna chyli (or cysterna chyli, and etymologically more correct, receptaculum chyli) is a dilated sac at the lower end of the

thoracic duct In human anatomy, the thoracic duct is the larger of the two lymph ducts of the lymphatic system. It is also known as the ''left lymphatic duct'', ''alimentary duct'', ''chyliferous duct'', and ''Van Hoorne's canal''. The other duct is the right ...

in most mammals into which lymph from the

intestinal trunk The intestinal trunk receives the lymph from the stomach and intestine, from the pancreas and spleen, and from the lower and front part of the liver, and empties lymph into the cisterna chyli, which in turn drains into the thoracic duct In huma ...

and two

lumbar lymphatic trunks The lumbar trunks are formed by the union of the efferent vessels from the lateral aortic lymph nodes. They receive the lymph from the lower limbs, from the walls and viscera of the pelvis, from the kidneys and suprarenal glands and the deep lymph ...

flow. It receives fatty

chyle Chyle (from the Ancient Greek, Greek word χυλός ''chylos'', "juice") is a milky bodily fluid consisting of lymph and emulsified fats, or free fatty acids (FFAs). It is formed in the small intestine during digestion of fatty foods, and taken ...

from the intestines and thus acts as a conduit for the lipid products of digestion. It is the most common drainage trunk of most of the body's lymphatics. The cisterna chyli is a retro-peritoneal structure.

Structure

In humans, the cisterna chyli is located posterior to the abdominal

aorta The aorta ( ) is the main and largest artery in the human body, originating from the left ventricle of the heart and extending down to the abdomen, where it splits into two smaller arteries (the common iliac arteries). The aorta distributes ...

on the

anterior Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position prov ...

aspect of the bodies of the first and second lumbar

vertebrae The spinal column, a defining synapomorphy shared by nearly all vertebrates,Hagfish are believed to have secondarily lost their spinal column is a moderately flexible series of vertebrae (singular vertebra), each constituting a characteristic i ...

(L1 and L2). There it forms the beginning of the primary

lymph vessel The lymphatic vessels (or lymph vessels or lymphatics) are thin-walled vessels (tubes), structured like blood vessels, that carry lymph. As part of the lymphatic system, lymph vessels are complementary to the cardiovascular system. Lymph vessel ...

, the

, which transports

lymph Lymph (from Latin, , meaning "water") is the fluid that flows through the lymphatic system, a system composed of lymph vessels (channels) and intervening lymph nodes whose function, like the venous system, is to return fluid from the tissues to ...

and

from the abdomen via the aortic opening of the diaphragm up to the junction of left

subclavian vein The subclavian vein is a paired large vein, one on either side of the body, that is responsible for draining blood from the upper extremities, allowing this blood to return to the heart. The left subclavian vein plays a key role in the absorption ...

and

internal jugular veins The internal jugular vein is a paired jugular vein that collects blood from the brain and the superficial parts of the face and neck. This vein runs in the carotid sheath with the common carotid artery and vagus nerve. It begins in the posteri ...

Other animals

In dogs, the cisterna chyli is located to the left and often ventral to the aorta; in cats it is left and dorsal; in guinea pigs it runs to the left and drains into the left innominate vein.

Gallery

File:Gray592.png, Scheme showing relative positions of primary lymph sacs. File:Gray621.png, Deep lymph nodes and vessels of the thorax and abdomen (diagrammatic). File:Gray1120.png, The relations of the viscera and large vessels of the abdomen. File:DH lymphatic system.jpg, Lymphatic system.

Thymus The thymus is a specialized primary lymphoid organ of the immune system. Within the thymus, thymus cell lymphocytes or ''T cells'' mature. T cells are critical to the adaptive immune system, where the body adapts to specific foreign invaders. ...

and

spleen The spleen is an organ found in almost all vertebrates. Similar in structure to a large lymph node, it acts primarily as a blood filter. The word spleen comes .

are clearly visible. File:Cisterna chyli arrows.jpg, Cisterna chyli (arrow), adjacent to the azygous vein (curved arrow). Normally not visible on CT; this is an 83 male who had a CT for follow-up of gastrointestinal stromal tumour.

References

External links

* - "Posterior Abdominal Wall: The Cisterna Chyli"
Diagram at ccri.edu at ccri.edu
{{Authority control Lymphatics of the torso

Structure

Other animals

Gallery

See also

References

External links