Three-dimensional organization of lymphatics in the dog stomach: a scanning electron microscopic study of corrosion casts.

The three-dimensional organization of the lymphatics in the dog stomach was studied by scanning electron microscopy of corrosion casts, which were made by direct parenchymal injection of low-viscosity Mercox-resin into the mucosa and the muscular layers. Although the organization of lymphatics in the stomach has been studied by a variety of methods, the origin of the lymphatics and their connection in each layer has not been clearly defined. In this study, using dog stomach because of its structural similarity to the human stomach, we defined the lymphatic structure in all gastric layers, with lymphatics absent in the upper two-thirds of the lamina propria mucosae. They were first encountered at the deepest level of the lamina propria, immediately above the lamina muscularis mucosae. These lymphatics were composed of single-layered irregular meshes. Slender lymphatics arising from this network passed through the lamina muscular is mucosae and drained into the lymphatic plexus, which was composed of thicker lymphatics at the uppermost layer of the submucosa. Lymphatic valves were frequently seen in this plexus. From this plexus, slender connecting lymphatics with valves extended straight downward without lateral communications and drained into the lymphatic plexus at the deepest layer of the submucosa. This latter plexus, composed of large-caliber lymphatics, issued flattened lymphatics which formed a three-dimensional network in the muscular layer. The subserosal lymphatics were composed of thick lymphatics with tortuous courses and drained into the efferent lymphatics.