Lymph vessels of the head

The lymph vessels on the head transport tissue fluid, proteins and immune cells from the head to the left vein angle. Here the tissue fluid then returns to the blood. Since the flow of lymph fluid in the head is directed downwards due to gravity and automatically returns to the left vein angle, lymphedema rarely occurs here.

On the way to the left vein angle, the lymph vessels of the head pass several lymph node regions in the neck. If an infection occurs in the area of the head, for example an ear infection or sinusitis, these neck lymph nodes can swell. The reason for this is that the lymph fluid contained in the lymph vessels of the head is purified in the lymph nodes.

All inflammatory cells thus accumulate in the area of the cervical lymph nodes so that the latter become active and produce more immune cells against the pathogens (T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes). If there is severe swelling of a cervical lymph node, the lymph fluid may not be able to drain sufficiently and accumulate in the lymph vessels of the head. If this is the case, the patient suffers from a pale and sallow facial skin. Rarely redness or pain occurs. Here, lymph drainage can effectively help to ensure the drainage of the lymphatic fluid again.

Lymph vessels of the brain

For a long time, researchers were not sure whether lymph vessels exist in the brain or whether the brain is free of any lymphatic pathways. It was only about a year ago that researchers published a report suggesting that lymph vessels exist in the brain. They are located in the outermost of the three meninges, the so-called dura mater.

Their function has not yet been clarified with certainty, but it is assumed that these lymph vessels can transport immune cells in the direction of the brain and thus play a decisive role in the defence against pathogens. Furthermore, the lymph vessels of the brain seem to fulfill an important task in transporting the so-called cerebrospinal fluid (cerebrospinal fluid or cerebrospinal fluid) from the brain ventricles. So far, lymph vessels in the brain have only been detected in mice. It is assumed, however, that humans also have lymph channels in the cerebral membrane (dura mater), which play a decisive role in defence and may offer a new explanation for Alzheimer’s disease, since harmful metabolic products could also be transported into the brain via these channels.