Middle colic vein
Vena colica media
Definition
The middle colic vein drains the transverse colon and typically ends into the superior mesenteric vein (SMV), although its drainage pattern can be variable:
In a study by Yamaguchi et al., the middle colic vein was found to drain directly into the superior mesenteric vein in 84.5% of cases, while in 12.1% of cases, it drained into the gastrocolic trunk.[1] Maki et al. reported that the middle colic vein drained into the superior mesenteric vein in 62.5% of patients, with other drainage sites including the gastrocolic trunk of Henle, inferior mesenteric vein, splenic vein, and jejunal vein.[2]
References
1.Venous Anatomy of the Right Colon: Precise Structure of the Major Veins and Gastrocolic Trunk in 58 Cadavers.Yamaguchi S, Kuroyanagi H, Milsom JW, Sim R, Shimada H.Diseases of the Colon and Rectum. 2002;45(10):1337-40. doi:10.1097/01.DCR.0000027284.76452.84.
2.The Variations of the Middle Colic Vein Tributaries: Depiction by Three-Dimensional CT Angiography.Maki Y, Mizutani M, Morimoto M, et al.The British Journal of Radiology. 2016;89(1063):20150841. doi:10.1259/bjr.20150841.
