Lymphatics of the floor of the mouth and periosteum: anatomic studies with possible clinical correlations.

An anatomic study is made to determine the role of the periosteum in the lymphatic drainage of the floor of the mouth in the dog. Microsurgical techniques are used to cannulate and perfuse a lymphatic vessel. Pathways are dissected to the proximity of the mandible, where a full-thickness mucoperiosteal flap is elevated. It is found that the floor-of-the-mouth lymphatics drained through the periosteum prior to entering the cervical lymphatic chain.