Anatomical Variation in the Origin of Portal Vein: Case Report.

The portal vein (PV) is a large vessel which arises from the union of the lienic vein with the superior mesenteric vein. Their variations are rare, however it must be remembered during pancreaticoduodenal surgeries. This paper aims to describe the anatomical variation of the PV origin during a cadaveric dissection.33 dissections of cadavers of both sexes were performed, 28 of them were male and 5 female, all over 18 years old, both fresh and fixed in 10% formalin. It was performed an evisceration of all of them, with the purpose of performing the dissection of the pedicles of the various organs of the cadaver.Of the 33 cadavers, 11 were fresh and 22 were formalin-fixed, during dissection of a block of fresh viscera from the supramesocolic level from a male, specifically at the lower edge of the body of the pancreas, there was an anatomical variation of PV origin. This variation was in absence of superior mesenteric vein, replaced by the gastrocolic venous trunk which joins with the venous trunk formed by the junction of the ileocolic and splenic veins. The inferior mesenteric vein joins with splenic vein.The knowledge of anatomical variations of the PV is fundamental in the clinical-surgical field to reduce potential intraoperative injuries (bleeding) and postoperative complications in pancreatic and colon surgery.