Morphological study of lymphatic drainage and lymph nodes of mammary glands in doe

Abstract

Direct relations between human and animal cancers are not completely understood, but the fact that metastasis is identical it’s well recognized. The investigation of lymphatic metastasis in mammary neoplasia or in malignant melanoma in rabbits requires a good knowledge of the topography of main superficial lymph nodes that drains superficial structures. This study aims to perform a detailed description of the lymphatic drainage and the topography of lymph nodes that drain the mammary glands in doe. Using colored solution injection technique, we study the topography of sentinel lymph nodes that drain the mammary glands in ten rabbits. Macroscopically and histological analyses were performed. Lymphatic drainage of the thoracic and cranial abdominal mammary gland (T and A1) was achieved by ventral accessories axillary lymph nodes, in a variable number, from one lymph node in two subjects, two lymph nodes in five subjects, even three lymph nodes in three subjects. This group of ventral accessories axillary lymph nodes represents a distinct group of axillary lymph center in rabbits, being localized at the dorsal border of pectoral ascendant muscle on the lateral thoracic vein trajectory. Caudal abdominal and inguinal mammary glands (A2 and I) drainage was achieved by mammary lymph nodes, belonging inguinofemoral lymph center. They are willing in dorso-lateral part of last mammary gland, embedded in adipose tissue, two lymph nodes on each side. Results presented in this study encourage the use of induced mammary tumor in rabbits as an animal model to study the lymphatic metastatic spread in mammary neoplasia. Also, the data obtained can be used to differentiate the lymph nodes which drain superficial structures in rabbits and improvement of surgical treatment in case of developing mammary tumors.