Quantitative Studies On The Drainage Of The Cerebrospinal Fluid Into The Lymphatic System

Abstract

Molecular solutions and colloidal particles, when introduced into the CSF, flow out very rapidly to the periphery by the direct lymphatic connections and attain higher concentrations in unit time in the deep cervical lymph nodes than would be possible via the bloodstream. The demonstrated CSF-lymphatic outflow pathway represents a direct communication between brain and lymphoid tissue. One may therefore presume that the deep cervical lymph nodes provide the first site of filtration for degradation products in the CSF.