Superior mesenteric vein

Vein: Superior mesenteric vein

The portal vein and its tributaries. The superior mesenteric vein and splenic vein. Leinal vein is an old term for splenic vein. Anatomical position.

The pancreas and duodenum from behind.
Latin	vena mesenterica superior
Gray's	subject #174 682
Drains to	hepatic portal vein
Artery	superior mesenteric artery
Dorlands/Elsevier	v_05/12851033

In anatomy, the superior mesenteric vein (SMV) is a blood vessel that drains blood from the small intestine (jejunum and ileum). At its termination behind the neck of the pancreas, the SMV combines with the splenic vein to form the hepatic portal vein. The SMV lies to the right of the similarly named artery, the superior mesenteric artery, which originates from the abdominal aorta.

Additional recommended knowledge

Daily Visual Balance Check

Essential Laboratory Skills Guide

Weighing the right way

Branches

Tributaries of the superior mesenteric vein drain the large intestine, stomach, pancreas and appendix and include:

Right gastro-omental vein (also known as the right gastro-epiploic vein)
inferior pancreaticoduodenal veins
veins from jejunum
veins from ileum
middle colic vein - drains the transverse colon
right colic vein - drains the ascending colon
ileocolic vein

Disorders

Thrombosis of the superior mesenteric vein is quite rare, but a significant cause of mesenteric ischemia and can be fatal. It is estimated that 10-15% of mesenteric ischemia is due to mesenteric thrombosis.^[1]

References

^ Tessier DJ, Williams RA, Mesenteric ischemic thrombosis, eMedicine, URL: http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic2753.htm, Accessed July 30, 2005.

v • d • e Veins of the torso
Coronary	coronary sinus (great cardiac, left marginal, small cardiac, middle cardiac, posterior of the left ventricle, oblique of the left atrium) • anterior cardiac (right marginal) • pulmonary
Thorax/ SVC	brachiocephalic: inferior thyroid - thymic - internal thoracic (anterior intercostal, superior epigastric) - left superior intercostal - supreme - vertebral - internal jugular - subclavian (axillary: lateral thoracic, thoracoepigastric) - pericardiacophrenic azygos: right superior intercostal - bronchial - intercostal/posterior intercostal 5-11 - accessory hemiazygos/hemiazygos - superior phrenic
Vertebral column	vertebral venous plexuses (external, internal) • spinal (posterior, anterior) • basivertebral • intervertebral
Abdomen/ IVC	to IVC (some to renal vein on left): inferior phrenic - hepatic - suprarenal - renal - gonadal (ovarian ♀/testicular ♂, pampiniform plexus ♂) - lumbar - common iliac to azygos system: ascending lumbar (subcostal)
Pelvis/common iliac	median sacral vein external iliac: inferior epigastric - deep circumflex iliac vein internal iliac - posterior: iliolumbar - superior gluteal - lateral sacral internal iliac - anterior: inferior gluteal - obturator - uterine ♀ (uterine plexus ♀) - vesical (vesical plexus, prostatic plexus ♂, deep of penis ♂/clitoris ♀, posterior scrotal ♂/labial ♀) - vaginal plexus/vein ♀ - middle rectal - internal pudendal (inferior rectal, bulb of penis ♂/vestibule ♀) - rectal plexus
Portal system/ portal vein	splenic: short gastric - left gastroepiploic - pancreatic - inferior mesenteric (superior rectal, left colic) superior mesenteric: right gastroepiploic - pancreaticoduodenal - jejunal - ileal - middle colic - right colic - ileocolic (appendicular) direct (cystic, left gastric/esophageal, right gastric, paraumbilical)
fetal	ductus venosus • umbilical

Categories: Veins | Abdomen

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Superior_mesenteric_vein". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia.