Thoracic duct

Thoracic duct
The thoracic and right lymphatic ducts. (Thoracic duct is thin vertical white line at center.)
Modes of origin of thoracic duct. (a) Thoracic duct. (a′) Cisterna chyli. (b), (c′) Efferent trunks from lateral aortic glands. (d) An efferent vessel which p...[clarification needed]
Details
System	Lymphatic system
Source	Cisterna chyli
Drains to	Junction of the left subclavian vein and left internal jugular vein
Identifiers
Latin	ductus thoracicus
MeSH	D013897
TA98	A12.4.01.007
TA2	5137
FMA	5031
Anatomical terminology [edit on Wikidata]

In human anatomy, the thoracic duct (also known as the left lymphatic duct, alimentary duct, chyliferous duct, and Van Hoorne's canal) is the larger of the two lymph ducts of the lymphatic system (the other being the right lymphatic duct).^[1] The thoracic duct usually begins from the upper aspect of the cisterna chyli, passing out of the abdomen through the aortic hiatus into first the posterior mediastinum and then the superior mediastinum, extending as high up as the root of the neck before descending to drain into the systemic (blood) circulation at the venous angle.

The thoracic duct carries chyle, a liquid containing both lymph and emulsified fats, rather than pure lymph. It also collects most of the lymph in the body other than from the right thorax, arm, head, and neck (which are drained by the right lymphatic duct).^[1]

When the duct ruptures, the resulting flood of liquid into the pleural cavity is known as chylothorax.