Pathology Illustration

Pathology Illustration: Lymphatic Filariasis

Target audience

General

Supervisor

Dr. Shelley Wall
Dr. John Wong

Date completed

December 2020

Tools used

Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator

Goals

To create an illustration explaining the development of a given pathology. I chose lymphatic filariasis because it affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide despite receiving very little attention or representation.

Process

Tissue landscape exploration

I used this study to better understand the different layers of the lymph node and the afferent to the efferent flow of the lymph.

Figure 1. Study of lymph nodeI took the opportunity to add traces of the pathology as well, but the perspective makes the enlargement of the efferent vessels difficult to notice. — **Figure 1.** Study of lymph node
I took the opportunity to add traces of the pathology as well, but the perspective makes the enlargement of the efferent vessels difficult to notice.

Layout

I wanted to convey the growth in tissue height and the obstruction of lymph flow that occurs as the disease progresses.

Figure 2a. First iteration — **Figure 2a.** First iteration

Figure 2b. The curve of the lymph was adjusted into a more organic shape — **Figure 2b.** The curve of the lymph was adjusted into a more organic shape

Figure 2c. The composition was changed to separate the healthy and diseased states — **Figure 2c.** The composition was changed to separate the healthy and diseased states

Figure 2d. The layout was solidified. The angle of the tissue cubes was adjusted to avoid the thickening of the lymph vessel from being perceived as perspective. — **Figure 2d.** The layout was solidified. The angle of the tissue cubes was adjusted to avoid the thickening of the lymph vessel from being perceived as perspective.

Figure 3a. First iteration of the coloured piece — **Figure 3a.** First iteration of the coloured piece

Figure 3b. Final version, with more detailed rendering and revised design — **Figure 3b.** Final version, with more detailed rendering and revised design

Tissue “cube” studies

Due to the nature of the disease progression, my tissue cubes ended up being tissue towers. I used this exercise to explore the representation of fat, scar tissue, and lymph build-up in tissue.

Figure 3a. Used to establish height difference — **Figure 3a.** Used to establish height difference

Figure 3b. This study focused on the textures of the scar tissue, lymph, and fat accumulation — **Figure 3b.** This study focused on the textures of the scar tissue, lymph, and fat accumulation

Figure 3c. The tissue towers were given a more organic shape to reflect their composition of unstructured tissue. The lymph vessels were taken out because anatomically they are supposed to be in deeper tissues. — **Figure 3c.** The tissue towers were given a more organic shape to reflect their composition of unstructured tissue. The lymph vessels were taken out because anatomically they are supposed to be in deeper tissues.

Render

Figure 4a. Lineart — **Figure 4a.** Lineart

Figure 4b. Blocking out color — **Figure 4b.** Blocking out color

Figure 4c. Shading added — **Figure 4c.** Shading added

Figure 4d. Texture integrated — **Figure 4d.** Texture integrated

References

Bonofiglio, M., Hay, J., & McPherson, C. (2007). Lymphatic filariasis: Inflammatory response to wolbachia bacteria in filarial worms. Lymphology, 40(4), 191–192.

Chakraborty, S., Gurusamy, M., Zawieja, D. C., & Muthuchamy, M. (2013). Lymphatic Filariasis: Perspectives on Lymphatic Remodeling and Contractile Dysfunction in Filarial Disease Pathogenesis. Microcirculation, 20(5), 349-364. doi:10.1111/micc.12031

Deshpande, A., Miller-Petrie, M. K., Lindstedt, P. A., Baumann, M. M., Johnson, K. B., Blacker, B. F., Abbastabar, H., Abd-Allah, F., Abdelalim, A., Abdollahpour, I., Abegaz, K. H., Abejie, A. N., Abreu, L. G., Abrigo, M. R. M., Abualhasan, A., Accrombessi, M. M. K., Adamu, A. A., Adebayo, O. M., Adedeji, I. A., … Reiner, R. C. (2020). The global distribution of lymphatic filariasis, 2000–18: a geospatial analysis. The Lancet Global Health, 8(9), e1186–e1194. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30286-2

Kilarski, W. W., Martin, C., Pisano, M., Bain, O., Babayan, S. A., & Swartz, M. A. (2019). Inherent biomechanical traits enable infective filariae to disseminate through collecting lymphatic vessels. Nature Communications, 10(1). doi:10.1038/s41467-019-10675-2

Krstić, R. V. (2010). Human microscopic anatomy: An atlas for students of medicine and biology. Berlin: Springer-Verlag.

Lee, B., Rockson, S. G., & Bergan, J. (2018). Lymphedema. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.

Manrique, O. J., Bustos, S. S., Ciudad, P., Adabi, K., Chen, W. F., Forte, A. J., . . . Chen, H. (2020). Overview of Lymphedema for Physicians and Other Clinicians: A Review of Fundamental Concepts. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2020.01.006

Neglected Tropical Diseases: Epidemiology and Global Burden. (2017). Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, 2(3), 36. doi:10.3390/tropicalmed2030036

Nutman, T. B. (2013). Insights into the Pathogenesis of Disease in Human Lymphatic Filariasis. Lymphatic Research and Biology, 11(3), 144-148. doi:10.1089/lrb.2013.0021

Olszewski, W. L., Jain, P., Ambujam, G., Zaleska, M., & Cakala, M. (2009). Where do lymph and tissue fluid accumulate in lymphedema of the lower limbs caused by obliteration of lymphatic collectors? Lymphology, 42(3), 105–111.

Schacht, V., Luedemann, W., Abels, C., & Rautenfeld, D. B. (2009). Anatomy of the Subcutaneous Lymph Vascular Network of the Human Leg in Relation to the Great Saphenous Vein. The Anatomical Record: Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology, 292(1), 87-93. doi:10.1002/ar.20765