[Studies on the lymph drainage of the eye. 1. Quantitative registration of the lymph drainage from the orbita of the rabbit with radioactive tracers (author's transl)].

For the investigation on the lymph drainage from the orbita 99mTc-microcolloid, 99mTc-albumin and 198Au-colloid have been injected into the retrobulbar space of 24 rabbits. Measurements of the activity's distribution have been made in vivo with an Anger type camera (pho-Gamma-IV Hp, Searle Nuclear Chicago) and in vitro after section with a sodium iodine crystal well counter (Clinimat-200, Picker). A significant concentration of the activity could be observed for the most part in the equilateral Lymphonoduli cervicales profundi and superficiales and for the less part also in the equilateral Lymphonoduli mandibulares and contralateral Lymphonoduli cervicales profoundi. Furthermore significant activities could be pointed out in the optic nerves as well as in the contralateral retrobulbar space. The data substantiate a lymph drainage from the orbita as well as a partly reverse "prelymphatic-lymphatic" flow and are of importance for discussions about lymphostatic ophthalmopathy and sympathetic ophthalmitis. For application on man 99mTc-microcolloid (Lymphoscint) shoud be preferred, because with this tracer 1. the lymph drainage can be measured quantitatively quite exactly by extern measurement with the Anger-camera, 2. the allowable radiation dosis for the lens is lying between 0.5-1.0 rad/mCi.