Download Veins of the Abdomen

Veins of the Abdomen
Blood from the abdominal walls and abdominal (and pelvic) organs
returns to the heart via the inferior vena cava. Blood from the digestive
organs empties into veins that drain into the hepatic portal vein.
This common vessel carries the venous blood into the liver.
The hepatic veins then carry the blood from the liver to the vena cava.
This hepatic portal system includes two sets of capillary beds located
between the arterial supply and the ultimate venous drainage. Capillary
beds in the stomach and intestines empty into tributaries of the hepatic
portal vein, which carries the blood to the capillary bed in the liver. The
hepatic portal system also includes a variety of tributary vessels from the
stomach and pancreas, including the superior and inferior mesenteric
veins and the splenic vein. The superior mesenteric vein collects
blood from all of the small intestine, the ascending and transverse
colons of the large intestine, and the stomach. The splenic vein drains
the spleen and portions of the pancreas and stomach. This vein unites
with the superior mesenteric vein to create the hepatic portal vein.
Blood from the distal parts of the large intestine and rectum drains into
the inferior mesenteric vein, which unites with the splenic vein
immediately prior to its merger with the superior mesenteric vein to
form the hepatic portal vein.
Major Veins of the Abdomen
Vein
Area Drained
Description
Inferior vena
Abdomen, lower limbs,
Formed by the merger of the two common iliac veins
cava
pelvis
External iliac
Abdominal wall, lower
Companions of the internal iliac arteries; Continuations of the
veins
limbs, cremaster muscle in
femoral veins; End by merging with the internal iliac veins to
males
form the common iliac veins
Lumbar
Posterior abdominal wall
Usually four lumbar veins on each side; Some drain directly
veins
(both sides), vertebral
into the inferior vena cava and others into the ascending
canal, spinal cord,
lumbar veins of the thoracic azygos system
meninges
Gonadal
Testes in males; ovaries in
Gonadal veins are called testicular veins in males
veins
females
andovarian veins in females; Left testicular and left ovarian
veins drain into the left renal veins; Right testicular and right
ovarian veins empty into the inferior vena cava
Renal veins
Kidneys
The right renal vein is shorter than the left; The left renal
vein collects blood from the left ovarian/testicular, left
inferior phrenic, and left suprarenal veins; The right renal
vein drains into the inferior vena cava
Suprarenal
Adrenal glands
veins
Inferior
The left suprarenal vein drains into the left renal vein; The
right suprarenal vein drains into the inferior vena cava
Diaphragm
Typically, the left inferior phrenic vein has tributaries to the
phrenic
left suprarenal vein (which drains into the left renal vein) and
veins
to the inferior vena cava; The right inferior phrenic vein
drains into the inferior vena cava
Hepatic
veins
Liver
Right and left hepatic veins empty into the inferior vena cava