ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the modalities of lymphatic drainage of the peritoneal cavity and looks how in peritoneal carcinomatosis this elaborate peritoneal lymphatic system can be used to the benefit of the severely diseased patient, while in other circumstances it works disadvantageous for the patient. Both cuboidal mesothelial processes and lymphatic endothelial flaps crisscrossing the lymphatic channels visualized via scanning and transmission electron microscopy approach were claimed to be involved in the necessary bicuspid valve function to ensure net unidirectional transport. The subdiaphragmatic lymphatics seem to be quantitatively the most important pathway for lymph drainage of the peritoneal cavity in physiological conditions, but lymphatics of the visceral and parietal parts of peritoneum also contribute especially when the peritoneal cavity is filled with large amounts of liquid. The subdiaphragmatic lymphatics can dynamically adapt to contraction or relaxation status of the diaphragm. Lymphatic stomata were disclosed by transmission electron microscopy in human testis tunica vaginalis confirming early light microscopical findings of tunica vaginalis.
