Introduction                                                                                                     

The lymphatic system was first described by Erasistratus in Alexandria more than 2000 years ago. However, the anatomy was not described in detail until the seventeenth century and William Hunter, in the late eighteenth century, was the first to describe the function of the lymphatic system as we now understand it. Starling’s pioneering work on the hydrostatic and haemodynamic forces controlling the movement of fluid across the capillary provided further insights into the function of the lymphatics. In the past two decades this knowledge has been further refined through the application of advanced in vivo microscopic techniques and the advances in molecular biology. Nevertheless, there is much about the lymphatic system that is not yet understood and debate continues over the precise aetiology of the commonest abnormality of the system; namely, lymphoedema.