[The importance of the vertebral venous plexus for the occurrence of haematogenous metastases in malignant diseases of the head and neck (author's transl)].

The analysis of observation about the progress of 1136 malignant diseases of the epi- and mesopharynx and of the nasal cavity and sinuses from the ENT-Clinic of Jena showed in 16 to 18 per cent of the cases haematogenous metastases observed only in a third to a half in the lung. If the lung had been spared especially the axial skeleton and the liver had metastases. This finding was especially significant in cases of epipharyngeal carcinomas. The discussion about the causes of the frequent occurence of metastases in the axial skeleton led to the supposition, that an independent way of the spreading of haematogenous metastases via the vertebral venous system and the azygos veins could be possible.