Lymphatic Diseases—Immune System and Disorders

Your immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to defend against germs. It helps your body to recognize these “foreign” invaders. Then its job is to keep them out, or if it can’t, to find and destroy them.

If your immune system cannot do its job, the results can be serious. Disorders of the immune system include

• Allergy and asthma – immune responses to substances that are usually not harmful
• Immune deficiency diseases – disorders in which the immune system is missing one or more of its parts
• Autoimmune diseases – diseases causing your immune system to attack your own body’s cells and tissues by mistake

NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

• Agammaglobulinemia (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Aging changes in immunity (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Chronic granulomatous disease (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Graft-versus-host disease (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Histiocytosis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Hyperimmunoglobulin E syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Immune response (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Immunodeficiency disorders (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Selective deficiency of IgA (Medical Encyclopedia)

The lymphatic system is a network of tissues and organs. It is made up of

• Lymph – a fluid that contains white blood cells that defend against germs
• Lymph vessels – vessels that carry lymph throughout your body. They are different from blood vessels.
• Lymph nodes – glands found throughout the lymph vessels. Along with your spleen, these nodes are where white blood cells fight infection.

Your bone marrow and thymus produce the cells in lymph. They are part of the system, too.

The lymphatic system clears away infection and keeps your body fluids in balance. If it’s not working properly, fluid builds in your tissues and causes swelling, called lymphedema. Other lymphatic system problems can include infections, blockage, and cancer.

• Cancer and lymph nodes (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Cystic hygroma (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Groin lump (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Lymph node biopsy (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Lymph system (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Lymphadenitis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Lymphangitis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Lymphofollicular hyperplasia (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Neck lump (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Swollen lymph nodes (Medical Encyclopedia)