The lymphatic system: diagnostic imaging studies.

T HE two most commonly encountered disease entities of the lymphatic system are lymphedema and lymphatic metastases. Today a variety of diagnostic imaging modalities are available for the functional and morphologic assessment of the lymphatic system (Table 1). Whereas in the United States a major effort has been directed toward the perfection of imaging strategies for the detection of lymphatic metastases, imaging modalities for detection of lymphedema have been evaluated mainly in Europe. Indeed, in Europe lymphoscintigraphy and interstitial lymphangiography have been performed in hundreds of patients with lymphedema (1,3,14,15). The article by McNeill et al in this issue of Radiology is a promising step toward introducing lymphoscintignaphy into the clinical routine in this country (16).