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. 2014 Mar;36(2):173-80.
doi: 10.1007/s00276-013-1154-9. Epub 2013 Jun 21.

Left gastric vein on the dorsal side of the splenic artery: a rare anatomic variant revealed during gastric surgery

Chang-Ming Huang  1 , Jia-Bin Wang, Yi Wang, Chao-Hui Zheng, Ping Li, Jian-Wei Xie, Jian-Xian Lin, Jun Lu
Affiliations

Left gastric vein on the dorsal side of the splenic artery: a rare anatomic variant revealed during gastric surgery

Chang-Ming Huang et al. Surg Radiol Anat. 2014 Mar.

Abstract

Purpose: The left gastric vein (LGV) is an important blood vessel requiring dissection during gastric surgery. We describe a rare anatomic variant of the LGV.

Methods: The LGV drainage pattern was analyzed relative to intraoperative vascular anatomy in 2,111 patients with gastric cancer who underwent radical resection from May 2007 to September 2012. The incidence of the anatomic variant was determined, and the diameter and length of the LGV and the distances from the end of the LGV to the splenoportal confluence and the root of the left gastric artery (LGA) were measured by abdominal CT reconstruction.

Results: In 6 of the 2,111 (0.28%) gastric cancer patients who underwent radical resection, the LGV descended on the left side of the gastropancreatic fold, ran across the dorsal side of the splenic artery and drained into the splenic vein. The mean diameter and length of the LGV were 5.10 ± 0.40 and 37.40 ± 5.19 mm, respectively, and the mean distance from the end of the LGV to the splenoportal confluence was 13.05 ± 0.86 mm. The closer the LGV and LGA were to the root, the greater the distance between them, with a mean 13.85 ± 1.02 mm between the end of the LGV and the root of the LGA.

Conclusions: In this rare anatomic variant, the LGV descends along the gastropancreatic fold, runs across the dorsal side of the splenic artery and drains into the splenic vein. Knowledge of this rare anatomic variant will help avoid damage to the LGV during gastric surgery.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
LGV running across the dorsal side of the common hepatic artery. LGV left gastric vein, LGA left gastric artery, CHA common hepatic artery, SA splenic artery
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
LGV running across the ventral side of the splenic artery. LGV left gastric vein, LGA left gastric artery, CHA common hepatic artery, SA splenic artery
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
LGV directly draining into the liver. LGV left gastric vein
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Schematic drawing of the LGV running across the dorsal side of the splenic artery. LGV left gastric vein, LGA left gastric artery, CHA common hepatic artery, SA splenic artery
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
LGV running across the dorsal side of the splenic artery. LGV left gastric vein, LGA left gastric artery, CHA common hepatic artery, SA splenic artery
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
LGV running across the dorsal side of the splenic artery. LGV left gastric vein, LGA left gastric artery, CHA common hepatic artery, SA splenic artery
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
LGV running across the dorsal side of the splenic artery. LGV left gastric vein, LGA left gastric artery, CHA common hepatic artery, SA splenic artery
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
a–d CT images showing the LGV running across the dorsal side of the splenic artery, and the portion pointed out by arrow refers to the LGV
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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