Left lumbar lymphatic trunk

The left lumbar lymphatic trunk drains the lymph from the lower extremities, pelvic organs, and parts of the abdominal wall. The left lumbar lymphatic trunk originates from the confluence of several lumbar lymphatic vessels that collect lymph from the lumbar lymph nodes and ascends along the left side of the abdominal aorta. The trunk is located anterior to the lumbar vertebrae, typically at the level between the twelfth thoracic vertebra and the second lumbar vertebra.

It joins with the left lumbar trunk and the intestinal trunk to form the cisterna chyli, which is the dilated sac that serves as a reservoir for lymph before it enters the thoracic duct.

The left lumbar trunk is approximately 107 ± 24 mm in length, with an external diameter of 1.7 ± 0.4 mm at its origin and 2.2 ± 0.6 mm at its termination.

The confluence patterns of the lumbar trunks and the intestinal trunk can vary, with the right lumbar trunk sometimes joining the common trunk formed by the left lumbar and intestinal trunks, or vice versa.[1]