Skip to content
EntityQ509244· pop 18· linked from 33 articles

Chyle (; ) is a milky bodily fluid consisting of lymph and emulsified fats, or free fatty acids (FFAs). It is formed in the small intestine during digestion of fatty foods, and taken up by lymph vessels specifically known as lacteals. The lipids in the chyle are colloidally suspended in chylomicrons. Its principal role is to carry dietary fats and fat-soluble vitamins from the intestine into the venous circulation after digestion.

Key facts

Anatomy.Name
Chyle
Anatomy.image
Chylothorax.jpg
Anatomy.caption
Chyle drained from someone with chylothorax, showing the characteristic milky appearance of the liquid.
Anatomy.system
Lymphatic system
Anatomy.location
Formed in the small intestine

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Show 3 more facts
NCI Thesaurus ID
C93166
Commons category
Chyle
Sources (2)

via Wikidata · CC0

~2 min read

Article

3 sections
Contents
  • Clinical significance
  • See also
  • References

Chyle (; ) is a milky bodily fluid consisting of lymph and emulsified fats, or free fatty acids (FFAs). It is formed in the small intestine during digestion of fatty foods, and taken up by lymph vessels specifically known as lacteals. The lipids in the chyle are colloidally suspended in chylomicrons. Its principal role is to carry dietary fats and fat-soluble vitamins from the intestine into the venous circulation after digestion.

==Clinical significance== A chyle fistula occurs when defect(s) of lymphatic vessel(s) result in leakage of lymphatic fluid, typically accumulating in the thoracic (pleural) or abdominal (peritoneal) cavities, leading to a chylous pleural effusion (chylothorax) or chylous ascites, respectively. Leakage of lymphatic fluid and decreased chyle volume result in the loss of fluid, electrolytes, proteins, and lymphocytes, leading to complications with nutrition, wound healing, and immunity.

Connections

Categories