[Peritumor lymph flow]

The peritumoural lymph current of 28 tumours of the head and the neck was analysed by using colloidal 198Au. In 10 cases a mostly unilateral, sometimes also a bilateral, flow of the radiomarker into the lymphatic system was seen. Whereas the flow was independent of the stage, it depended on the localisation of the tumour, the tonsillar and retrolingual regions being more effectively perfused than the larynx. If there was a detectable lymph current, clinical and histological metastases were often present in the lymph nodes. The peritumoural lymph current is an important factor in the lymphogenous formation of metastases.