Lymphatic System Diseases

The lymphatic system consists of lymph vessels, lymph nodes and lymph and is considered to be the second circulatory system in the body. The system circulates lymph around the body through lymphatic vessels (which are different from blood vessels) and lymph nodes. Lymph basically contains white blood cells that defend the body against germs and infections. Lymph nodes are oval or bean-shaped group of tissues that are located along the lymph vessels and abundantly found in the neck, armpit, groin, and around the large blood vessels in the abdomen and chest. It is the lymph nodes and spleen where these white blood cells (produced by the bone marrow and thymus) fight infection which improve the body's immune system.

Functions of the Lymphatic System

The main function of the lymphatic system is to maintain the fluid and protein balance in the body. As blood travels through the arteries and veins, nearly 10% of the fluid filtered by the capillaries, along with vital proteins, gets trapped in the tissues of the body. This loss of fluid would rapidly become life threatening if the lymphatic system does not collect this fluid and return it to the circulatory system. With the network of vessels and nodes that transport and filter lymph fluid containing antibiotics and white blood cells, the lymphatic system is considered to be the first line of defense against any infection or diseases from invading microorganisms. Lymph vessels in the lining of the gastrointestinal tract absorb fats from food and impacts disorders like excessive obesity, diabetes, etc, caused by abnormal fat and carbohydrate accumulation and metabolism.

Diseases of the Lymphatic System

Lymphedema: One of the most prevalent lymphatic disorder is lymphatic insufficiency, or lymphedema which occurs due to an accumulation of lymphatic fluid in the interstitial tissue. This results in swelling in the arms, legs and sometimes in other parts of the body. The severity of this disorder varies from extremely mild complications to a disfiguring, painful and cellulite infections deep in skin. If not treated, the skin eventually becomes fibrotic (thickening of the skin and subcutaneous tissues) with loss of normal structure, functionality and mobility. The two types of lymphedema are:

• Primary Lymphedema: It is an inherited condition that occurs due to impaired or missing lymphatic vessels. It affects from one to as many as four limbs and even other body parts, including internal organs. It can exhibit at birth, develop with the onset of puberty or occur in adulthood, with no apparent causes.
• Secondary Lymphedema: The disorder is basically acquired regional lymphatic insufficiency which occurs due to any trauma, infection or surgery that disrupts the lymphatic vessels or results in the loss of lymph nodes.

Filariasis: Filariasis is another disorder that occurs from a parasitic-caused infection causing lymphatic insufficiency, and in some cases predisposes elephantiasis (thickening of the skin and underlying tissues especially in the legs, male genitals and female breasts).

Lymphoma: Lymphoma is a medical term used for a group of cancers that originate in the lymphatic system. Lymphomas usually begin with malignant transformation of the lymphocytes (white blood cells) in lymph nodes or bunch of lymphatic tissue in organs like the stomach or intestines. Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma are two major categories in Lymphoma, characterized by enlargement of lymph nodes, usually present in the neck. Symptoms of lymphoma mainly include chronic fatigue, weak immune function, weight loss, night sweats and pain after drinking alcohol.

Lymphadenopathy: Lymphadenopathy is a lymphatic disorder in which the lymph nodes become swollen or enlarged, due an infection. For example, swollen lymph nodes in the neck may occur as a result of a throat infection.

Lymphadenitis: Also known as adenitis, Lymphadenitis is an inflammation of the lymph node due to a bacterial infection of the tissue in the node causing swelling, reddening, and tenderness of the skin overlying the lymph node.

Splenomegaly: Splenomegaly or enlarged spleen is another lymphatic system disorder, that develops due to a viral infection like mononucleosis.

Tonsillitis: Of many other disorders, tonsillitis is another disease caused by an infection of the tonsils, the lymphoid tissues present in the back of the mouth at the top of the throat. These lymphoid tissues help filter out bacteria and when infected, they become swollen and inflamed, leading to a sore throat, fever, and difficulty and pain while swallowing.

HIV/AIDS and inflammatory and auto-immune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE), scleroderma, Wegener's granulomatosis, etc., are directly impacted by the lymphatic system. Hence, lymphatic insufficiency of the internal organs and unhealthy lifestyles can eventually lead to any of the aforementioned diseases.