Ganga Karunamuni
Editor
2013
The heart is invested with a complex, intertwining network of blood and lymphatic vessels which, respectively, provide the cardiac tissue with oxygen and nutrients and eliminate excess fl uid from the interstitium. The coronary blood vessels have been the focus of much investigation in the past few decades. On the other hand, the literature regarding the cardiac lymphatic vessels remains sparse, despite their important role in maintaining normal heart function. For example, in the event of lymphatic blockage, destruction, or dysfunction, cardiac edema as well as fi brosis and infl ammation can be observed in the affected regions of the heart.