The venous drainage of the pancreas

Abstract

With the aim of clarifying certain contradictory aspects of the description of the venous drainage of the pancreas, a review of the literature and an anatomic study were carried out. Fifty duodeno-pancreatic blocks were studied by the injection-corrosion technique, of which 45 were available for study of the right pancreas and 37 for that of the left pancreas. The venous drainage of the duodeno-pancreas is effected via two territories: a posterosuperior and an anteroinferior, the former draining toward the portal v. and the second into the superior mesenteric v. The borderline between the two is represented by the inferior posterior pancreatico-duodenal (IPPD) v. Four veins ensure duodeno-pancreatic drainage: the superior anterior, inferior anterior, superior posterior and inferior posterior pancreatico-duodenal vv. (SAPD, IAPD, SPPD and IPPD). The major vein of the ventral aspect is the SAPD; that of the dorsal aspect is the SPPD. Two arches, anterior and posterior, were found in the majority of cases. The left pancreas drains into the splenic v. via several collateral branches. Other veins participate in the venous drainage of the isthmus, body and tail of the pancreas, including the inferior or transverse pancreatic v.