The Cardiac Lymphatic System: An Overview

The heart is invested with a complex, intertwining network of blood and lymphatic vessels which, respectively, provide the cardiac tissue with oxygen and nutrients and eliminate excess fluid from the interstitium. The coronary blood vessels have been the focus of much investigation in the past few decades. On the other hand, the literature regarding the cardiac lymphatic vessels remains sparse, despite their important role in maintaining normal heart function. With this in mind, a better understanding of the cardiac lymphatic network and its ability to regulate fluid homeostasis within the heart could give us insight into developing therapies for the alleviation of several cardiac pathological conditions.