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Abstract
The lymphatic system is known to regenerate and proliferate following tissue destruction in numerous sites in mammals. However, the possibility of extension of lymphatic vessels into the damaged cornea has not been adequately investigated. Alloxan monohydrate was injected into the anterior chamber of normal rabbit eyes and resulted in extensive vascularization of the corneae. Injection of Mandarin ink into the corneal stroma or of Patent Blue V into the corneal limbus resulted in the visualization of some form of canal system. The canals have a characteristic branching formation and irregular caliber and they appear to be continuous with the lymphatic system of the conjunctiva. Hence, it is likely that these canals represent a proliferation of the conjunctival lymphatic system into the cornea. If this is so, they would provide an easy route for the passage of antigenic material from a homografted cornea to the regional lymph nodes of the host. Thus, the presence of corneal lymphatics could play an important role in the production of the homograft reaction which remits in late clouding of some corneal grafts.