'Reading' cross-sections

Hepatic Portal Vein

In brief
• Vena portae hepatis = hepatic portal vein (from Latin vena = vein, portae = portal,
hepatic = regarding the liver)
• This blood vessel transports blood from the gastrointestinal tract to the liver. The liver
processes the nutrients extracted in the intestines and breaks down toxic substances
(alcohol, medication).
• Originates dorsally to the pancreas from the fusion of the v. mesenterica superior
(superior mesenteric vein) and v. splenica (splenic vein).
• Runs towards the liver where it enters on the caudal side, approximately in the
middle. This entrance to the liver is called the portae hepatis (liver portal). Here the
a. hepatica enters as well, and the bile duct exits the liver.

By O.P.Gobée, R. Slagter, dept. Anatomy & Embryology, LUMC, Netherlands.

License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike - CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International.
How do I recognize it?
Coronal 665
Originates dorsally to the pancreas
(from v. lienalis (Splenic Vein = SV)
and v.mesenterica superior
(Superior Mesenteric Vein = SMV)

Transversaal 1770
Originates dorsally to the pancreas
(from v. lienalis (Splenic Vein = SV)
and v.mesenterica superior
(Superior Mesenteric Vein = SMV)

Coronal 715
Runs towards the liver where it
enters on the caudal side,
approximately in the middle.
(VP = Vena Portae).

NB: Not to be confused with the

inferior vena cava (IVC), which is
not connected to the v. portae, and
runs along the dorsal side of the
liver.

By O.P.Gobée, R. Slagter, dept. Anatomy & Embryology, LUMC, Netherlands.

License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike - CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International.
 Transversal 1620
Runs towards liver where it
enters on the caudal side,
approximately in the middle.
(PV = Portal Vein).

NB: Not to be confused with the

inferior vena cava (IVC), which
is not connected to the v. portae,
and runs along the dorsal side of
the liver.
VP .

VCI

By O.P.Gobée, R. Slagter, dept. Anatomy & Embryology, LUMC, Netherlands.

License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike - CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 International.