Lymphangiography of the mouse ear

The lymphatic system is an important route for metastasis of cancer cells. Lymphatic microvessels have been studied by adapting lymphangiography to the mouse ear. In this technique, a high-molecular-weight fluorescently labeled tracer is injected into the interstitial compartment of the ear chamber. The tracer migrates to the local lymphatic vessels and fills the network, allowing visualization. Lymphangiography with Evan's blue dye or fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran reveals a dense auricular network of lymphatic capillaries, draining to a larger vessel at the ear base and subsequently to the exposed superficial cervical lymph node.