| Cisterna chyli | |
|---|---|
 Cisterna chyli is the white bulb in the center near the bottom. | |
 Modes of origin of thoracic duct. a. Thoracic duct. a’. Cisterna chyli. b, c’ Efferent trunks from lateral aortic glands. d. An efferent vessel which pierces the left crus of the diaphragm. e. f. Lateral aortic glands. h. Retroaortic glands. i. Intestinal trunk. j. Descending branch from intercostal lymphatics. | |
| Details | |
| System | Lymphatic system |
| Source | Intestinal trunk,lumbar trunks,retroaortic lymph nodes |
| Drains to | Thoracic duct |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | cisterna chyli |
| TA98 | A12.4.01.012 |
| TA2 | 5145 |
| FMA | 5835 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
Thecisterna chyli orreceptaculum chyli (chy·li pronounced: ˈkī-ˌlī) is a dilated sac at the lower end of thethoracic duct in most mammals into whichlymph from theintestinal trunk and twolumbar lymphatic trunks flow. It receives fattychyle from the intestines and thus acts as a conduit for the lipid products of digestion. It is the most common drainage trunk of most of the body's lymphatics. The cisterna chyli is a retroperitoneal structure.
In humans, the cisterna chyli is locatedposterior to theabdominal aorta on theanterior aspect of the bodies of the first and secondlumbar vertebrae (L1 and L2). There it forms the beginning of the primarylymph vessel, thethoracic duct, which transportslymph andchyle from the abdomen via the aortic opening of the diaphragm up to the junction of leftsubclavian vein andinternal jugular veins.[1]
In dogs, the cisterna chyli is located to the left and often ventral to the aorta; in cats it is left anddorsal; inguinea pigs it runs to the left and drains into the left innominate vein.[2]
