Pancreaticoduodenal veins

Last revised by Andrew Murphy ◉ on 30 Jun 2020

Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data

Citation:

Vadera S, Murphy A, Knipe H, Pancreaticoduodenal veins. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 06 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-70673

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-70673

Permalink:

https://radiopaedia.org/articles/70673

rID:

70673

Article created:

30 Aug 2019, Sonam Vadera ◉

Disclosures:

At the time the article was created Sonam Vadera had no recorded disclosures.

View Sonam Vadera's current disclosures

Last revised:

30 Jun 2020, Andrew Murphy ◉

Disclosures:

At the time the article was last revised Andrew Murphy had no recorded disclosures.

View Andrew Murphy's current disclosures

Revisions:

3 times, by 3 contributors - see full revision history and disclosures

Systems:

Vascular, Gastrointestinal

Sections:

Anatomy

Tags:

cases

The pancreaticoduodenal veins accompany their corresponding arteries and act to drain the head of the pancreas and duodenum.

Gross anatomy

There are four small pancreaticoduodenal veins:

posterior superior pancreaticoduodenal vein
anterior superior pancreaticoduodenal vein
posterior inferior pancreaticoduodenal vein
anterior inferior pancreaticoduodenal vein

They drain the head of the pancreas and the second and third parts of the duodenum.

Location

The pancreaticoduodenal veins lie on the surface of the pancreas and form anterior and posterior arcades via anastomoses between the inferior and superior veins. Duodenal branches extend inferiorly and to the right of the head of the pancreas. The superior veins are generally larger than the inferior veins and drain a greater portion of the pancreatic head ¹.

Course

The posterior superior pancreaticoduodenal vein runs through the posterior pancreaticoduodenal sulcus and drains into the right posterior wall of the portal vein ².

The anterior superior pancreaticoduodenal vein runs a horizontal course across the anterior aspect of the pancreatic head before draining into the gastrocolic trunk or the right gastroepiploic vein ¹. Both of these subsequently drain into the superior mesenteric vein.

The anterior and posterior inferior pancreaticoduodenal veins drain a smaller portion of the pancreatic head, often only the uncinate process. They pass horizontally to the left and drain into the first jejunal vein or directly into the superior mesenteric vein at the caudal margin of the pancreas ³.

Related pathology

duodenal varices

References

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Pancreaticoduodenal veins