Ontogenetic Anatomy of the Lower Human Body’s Lymphatic System: Lymphatic Network of the Female Genital Tract—Regional Progression of Gynecologic Carcinomas
摘要
Developmental aspects of the lymphatic system related to the lower body parts are presented to explain the mature lymphatic network, which consists of superficial and deep lymph territories with their manifold intercalated and basin lymph nodes. Considering the hierarchy of the first, second, and third immunologic defense lines for the genital tract, as proposed by the regional cancer field model in Chap. 5 , the regional spread of gynecologic carcinomas is elucidated. Particularly, the pattern of regional cancer progression of cervix and vulvar carcinoma for increasing ontogenetic tumor stages is outlined. Predictions made from the application of the model are confirmed by the clinical results obtained from the surgical treatment of the primary tumors without adjuvant radiotherapy and from recurrent lymph node metastases. Moreover, the surgical anatomy of the lymphatic drainage of the uterine corpus and cervix established from indocyanine green labeling is demonstrated.