DUCTLESS GLANDS, in anatomy, glands in the body having no ducts or canals for conveying away their products, which, known as internal secretions, pass directly into the veins or lymphatics. Among these structures are the spleen, adrenals, thyroid gland, parathyroids, thymus and the carotid and coccygeal bodies. In addition lymphatic glands are described under lym a prominent ridge into a gastric or anterior and a renal or posterior surface. Probably, the shape of the spleen varies somewhat from time to time. The gastric surface is concave to fit the fundus of the stomach, while just in front of the ridge separating the gastric and renal surface is the hilum, where the vessels enter and leave the organ. The renal surface is moulded on to the upper part of the outer border of the left kidney and just reaches the left adrenal body. The borders of the spleen usually show two or more notches. The whole spleen is surrounded by peritoneum, which is reflected off on to the stomach and the kidney. Small accessory spleens are fairly often found in the neighbourhood, though, possibly, some of these may be haemo-lymph glands (see LYMPHATIC SYS
