Superior mesenteric vein
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At the time the article was created Henry Knipe had no recorded disclosures.
View Henry Knipe's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Tariq Walizai had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Tariq Walizai's current disclosures- SMV
- Superior mesenteric vein (SMV)
The superior mesenteric vein (SMV) accompanies the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and drains the midgut to the portal venous system.
On this page:
Gross anatomy
Origin and course
Mesenteric venous arcades, which accompany the arteries, unite to form the jejunal and ileal veins in the small bowel mesentery and are joined by the tributaries listed below. Often the superior mesenteric vein is considered the
common trunk after all the chief tributaries have joined.
The gastrocolic trunk drains into the right-hand aspect of the SMV just anterior to the uncinate process of the pancreas. It unites with the splenic vein posterior to the neck of the pancreas (at the level of L1) to form the portal vein.
The SMV is accompanied by the SMA and normally lies to the right. If it is not in this position, it can indicate intestinal malrotation.
Relations
anterior: neck of pancreas
posterior: uncinate process of pancreas
Tributaries
mesenteric venous arcades (jejunal and ileal veins)
inferior pancreaticoduodenal vein
-
right gastroepiploic vein
middle colic vein
anterior superior pancreaticoduodenal vein
Variant anatomy
absence of common draining trunk with two "intestinal trunks" draining directly into the splenic vein (~10%) 4,5
variations in the formation of the portal vein
Related pathology
References
- 1. Buttler P. Applied radiological anatomy. Cambridge University Press. (1999) ISBN:0521481104. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Snell R. Clinical anatomy by regions. ISBN:B008C8OQOI. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 3. Gray's basic anatomy. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN:1455710784. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 4. Graf O, Boland GW, Kaufman JA et-al. Anatomic variants of mesenteric veins: depiction with helical CT venography. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1997;168 (5): 1209-13. doi:10.2214/ajr.168.5.9129413 - Pubmed citation
- 5. Kim HJ, Ko YT, Lim JW et-al. Radiologic anatomy of the superior mesenteric vein and branching patterns of the first jejunal trunk: evaluation using multi-detector row CT venography. Surg Radiol Anat. 2007;29 (1): 67-75. doi:10.1007/s00276-006-0153-5 - Pubmed citation
Incoming Links
- Inferior mesenteric vein
- Pancreas transplant
- Whirlpool sign (mesentery)
- Terminal ileum
- Jejunum
- Pancreatic trauma injury grading
- Ishikawa classification of venous involvement by pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
- Ileum
- Superior mesenteric artery
- Teardrop sign (superior mesenteric vein)
- Splenic vein
- Stomach
- Medical abbreviations and acronyms (S)
- Midgut volvulus
- Cardiac arrest
- Paraduodenal hernia
- Arterial occlusive mesenteric ischaemia
- Veno-occlusive mesenteric ischaemia
- Root of the mesentery
- Cecum
- Pancreatic cancer
- Undifferentiated carcinoma of the pancreas
- Dorsal pancreatic agenesis with bowel malrotation and polysplenia
- Intestinal malrotation
- Superior mesenteric vein thrombosis
- Intestinal malrotation
- Right anterior paraduodenal hernia with small bowel obstruction
- Complete pancreatic lipomatosis
- Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (unresectable)
- Portal vein and tributaries (Gray's illustration)
- Cavernous transformation of the portal vein
- Superior mesenteric vein thrombosis
- Portal venous hypertension
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