Recent findings on the angioarchitecture of the lymph vessel system of human skin.

Abstract

The regional distribution of initial (i.e. most peripheral) lymph vessels of the human skin is unknown. New methods permit a precise systematic determination of the density of initial lymph vessels in every region of the dermis. Based on 202 skin specimens, it was possible to investigate the density of the lymph vessels of the skin derived from head, neck, upper arm, forearm, upper and lower leg. In all regions there seem to be a uniform structured dense subpapillary network and a wide meshed deep dermal network. The lymph vessels are at their most dense in the skin of the head.