ABSTRACT
The section for anatomy of lower limb veins is based on a consensus from experts at a meeting of the Union Internationale de Phlebologie held in San Diego. Information gained from anatomical dissections has been supplemented in recent years by ultrasound studies for veins and dye studies for lymphatics. Interconnected superficial veins form a dorsal venous arch at the base of the back of the hand. The superficial system of superior, superficial middle and inferior cerebral veins drains the cerebral cortex to the midline superior sagittal sinus. A complex interconnecting series of valveless longitudinal veins form anterior and posterior intraspinal and extraspinal vertebral venous plexuses. The portal vein results from the confluence of the superior mesenteric and splenic veins behind the neck of pancreas. The right, left and middle hepatic veins pass from the back of the liver to the inferior vena cava immediately below the diaphragm.
