Trunk vessels (aorta, vena cava, abdominal branches)
Splenic vein
Vena splenica (Vena lienalis)
- Origin
- Formed at the splenic hilum by tributaries exiting the spleen
- Insertion
- Runs straight across the posterior surface of the pancreatic body and tail to join the SMV forming the portal vein
- Function
- Drains the spleen, stomach fundus/greater curvature, and pancreas into the portal vein
- Innervation
- Splenic plexus
- Movement & chain
- Continuous portal inflow
- Palpation
- Not palpated directly
- Clinical
- Sinistral (left-sided) portal hypertension: isolated splenic vein thrombosis from chronic pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer causing isolated gastric varices with normal liver histology (curable by splenectomy).
- Segmental innervation
- T6-T8 spinal levels
- In clinical practice
- Recognizing isolated bleeding gastric fundal varices on endoscopy, splenectomy workup in sinistral hypertension
- Region in the model
- Trunk vessels (aorta, vena cava, abdominal branches)