Splenic vein
| Vein: Splenic vein | |
|---|---|
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| The portal vein and its tributaries. (Spleen is at far right, and "lienal vein" is visible traveling from it to the left.) | |
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| 3D-rendered computed tomography, showing splenic vein at upper right. | |
| Latin | vena lienalis |
| Gray's | p.681 |
| Drains from | trabecular vein of spleen |
| Source | short gastric veins, left gastroepiploic vein, pancreatic veins, inferior mesenteric vein |
| Drains to | hepatic portal vein |
| Artery | splenic artery |
| MeSH | Splenic+Vein |
In anatomy, the splenic vein (in the past called the lienal vein) is the blood vessel that drains blood from the spleen.
It joins with the superior mesenteric vein, to form the hepatic portal vein and follows a course superior to the pancreas, alongside of the similarly named artery, the splenic artery. Unlike the splenic artery, the splenic vein is intraperitoneal as it courses along the superior border of the body of the pancreas, whereas the splenic artery is retroperitoneal.
It collects branches from the stomach and pancreas and most notably from the large intestine (inferior mesenteric vein), which is drained by the superior mesenteric vein and joins with splenic vein shortly before it forms the portal vein.
Additional images
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Transverse section of the spleen, showing the trabecular tissue and the splenic vein and its tributaries.
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The pancreas and duodenum from behind.
External links
- Gray's s278 - "The Spleen"
- -1241120742 at GPnotebook - "Splenic vein thrombosis"
- 39:10-0102 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center - "Intestines and Pancreas: Structures Posterior to the Pancreas:
- SUNY Anatomy Image 8685
- pancreas at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (pancreasvessels)
- Splenic vein - medterms.com
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