Historical Review of Lymphatic Studies in the Hand

Abstract

As a part of vascular systems, the lymphatic system was discovered later than the others. Initially lymphatic vessels were observed in the viscera of mammals. Lymphatic vessels of the human limbs were not found until the mercury injection technique was introduced, which were largely referred by later literature. However the knowledge sometimes does not match or explain some of the unexpected clinical findings. Although, the superficial lymphatic distribution of the upper limb has been updated during the last decade, but the deep lymphatic pathways of the hand were still remained in uncertainty till a recent article was reported. This review the current investigative approaches through the historical perspective for clinical management and scientific researches in this region.