title: A rare congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunt affecting the inferior mesenteric vein, inferior vena cava, and left ovarian vein.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe a case of congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunt and discuss it from the embryological and clinical viewpoints.
  
  
  METHODS
  An 85-year-old female cadaver was employed for a dissection course at Aichi Medical University in 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no evidence of liver cirrhosis macroscopically or microscopically. A portosystemic shunt was observed that involved communication between the inferior mesenteric vein, inferior vena cava (IVC), and left ovarian vein by a single Y-shaped shunt vessel.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of the above-mentioned three veins being connected by a single Y-shaped shunt vessel. Considering the other venous diameters, the shunt appeared to flow into the splenic vein and IVC. It cannot be denied that this shunt may have led to hepatic encephalopathy, although the shunt effect may have been minimal. Embryological development of IVC appears to occur close to the plexus of anastomosing vitelline veins, forming the portal vein.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Aichi Medical University, Nagakute, Aichi, 480-1195, Japan.
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Miyo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Shogo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Yoshitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukuzawa
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakano
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002102:Cadaver; D004210:Dissection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008642:Mesenteric Veins / Q000002:abnormalities*; D010053:Ovary / Q000098:blood supply*; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000002:abnormalities*; D054079:Vascular Malformations / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000002:abnormalities*