title: An anomalous portal vein crossing the lesser sac and ending at the upper part of ductus venosus.
abstract: In serial sagittal sections of a fetus on week 9 (crown-rump length, 36 mm), we incidentally found absence of the usual portal vein through the hepatoduodenal ligament. Instead, an anomalous portal vein originated behind the pancreatic body, crossed the lesser sac and merged with the upper part of the ductus venosus. During the course across the lesser sac, the vein provided a deep notch of the liver caudate lobe (Spiegel's lobe). The hepatoduodenal ligament contained the hepatic artery, the common bile duct and, at the right posterior margin of the ligament, and a branch of the anomalous portal vein which communicated with the usual right branch of the portal vein at the hepatic hilum. The umbilical portion of the portal vein took a usual morphology and received the umbilical vein and gave off the ductus venosus. Although it seemed not to be described yet, the present anomalous portal vein was likely to be a persistent left vitelline vein. The hepatoduodenal ligament was unlikely to include the left vitelline vein in contrast to the usual concept.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Biomedical Research Institute, Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Hee Chul
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Internal Medicine, Iwamizawa Asuka Hospital, Iwamizawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Gen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.affiliation: Institute of Embryology, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: José Francisco
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Vázquez
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Biomedical Research Institute, Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea.
authors.forename: Baik Hwan
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Cho
keywords: Ductus venosus; Human fetus; Peritoneal cavity; Portal vein anomaly; Vitelline vein