Lymph capillaries & vessels

Looks like

Thin-walled, blind-ended tubes in almost every tissue, joining into vessels with valves that run towards the lymph nodes.

What it does

Collect fluid leaking from blood vessels, with fats from the gut and immune cells, and return it to the blood.

Keeping it well

Damage from surgery, radiotherapy or infection causes lymphoedema, a lasting swelling. Red streaks running up a limb from a wound need antibiotics.

Related conditions

• Kaposi sarcoma
• Lymphangitis
• Lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis)
• Lymphoedema