The pulmonary lymph flow after irradiation of the lungs of dogs.

The pulmonary lymph flow, m e d by our previously published method, is reported in ten dogs after irradiation to anterior mediastinal portals which included the medial one-thud of both lungs. In group A (six dogs) the lymph flow of the lung was measured immediately after the course of radiation and in group B (four dogs) a period of about five months elapsed. Our results show that the lymph flow in the lungs of dogs after exposure to radiation is not altered appreciably either immediately after the completion of a course of radiation or after a delay of several months. The implication is that neither the initial radiation nor the later fibrosis significantly interferes with the lymphatic c h nels. Alterations in the parenchyma of the lung such as patchy edema and severe chronic pneumonitis are not quantitatively reflected in the pulmonary lymph flow.