title: Left gastric vein on the dorsal side of the splenic artery: a rare anatomic variant revealed during gastric surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The left gastric vein (LGV) is an important blood vessel requiring dissection during gastric surgery. We describe a rare anatomic variant of the LGV.
  
  
  METHODS
  The LGV drainage pattern was analyzed relative to intraoperative vascular anatomy in 2,111 patients with gastric cancer who underwent radical resection from May 2007 to September 2012. The incidence of the anatomic variant was determined, and the diameter and length of the LGV and the distances from the end of the LGV to the splenoportal confluence and the root of the left gastric artery (LGA) were measured by abdominal CT reconstruction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 6 of the 2,111 (0.28%) gastric cancer patients who underwent radical resection, the LGV descended on the left side of the gastropancreatic fold, ran across the dorsal side of the splenic artery and drained into the splenic vein. The mean diameter and length of the LGV were 5.10 ± 0.40 and 37.40 ± 5.19 mm, respectively, and the mean distance from the end of the LGV to the splenoportal confluence was 13.05 ± 0.86 mm. The closer the LGV and LGA were to the root, the greater the distance between them, with a mean 13.85 ± 1.02 mm between the end of the LGV and the root of the LGA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this rare anatomic variant, the LGV descends along the gastropancreatic fold, runs across the dorsal side of the splenic artery and drains into the splenic vein. Knowledge of this rare anatomic variant will help avoid damage to the LGV during gastric surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastric Surgery, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, No. 29 Xinquan Road, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian, China, hcmlr2002@163.com.
authors.forename: Chang-Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jia-Bin
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chao-Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jian-Wei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Jian-Xian
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013157:Splenic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013270:Stomach / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods