A morphological and functional study of the cavo-hepatic junction in the human

Abstract

The authors studied the morphological and structural aspects of the junctions between the hepatic veins and the inferior vena cava. The study was carried out on 20 specimens obtained from adult cadavers of both sexes, fixed in 10% formaldehyde solution. The hepatic veins with their junctions on the inferior vena cava were isolated. Then a macroscopic analysis of the openings of the hepatic veins into the inferior vena cava was performed. Part of this material was embedded in paraffin, submitted to serial sectioning and stained with Azan's trichrome and resorcin-fuchsin. Three hepatic veins were observed in all cases: right, left and the middle. In 20% of the cases the middle hepatic vein opens directly into the inferior vena cava. The hepatic vein openings are supported by two pillars inferiorly united through a semilunar fold. The hepatic vein wall is greatly thickened at the level of its junction with the inferior vena cava, showing a large amount of muscular and collagenous fibers. These bundles constitute a sphincter-like formation which may play a physiological role in the control of the hepatic circulation.

The effects of low‐dose epinephrine infusion on spleen size, central and hepatic circulation and circulating platelets

“…However, increases in MPV, as well as in counts of platelets, erythrocytes and leucocytes lagged about 10 min after spleen contraction. The possible explanation is that the blood ejected from the spleen is first stored in hepatic veins and hepatic sinuses, because of action of cavo‐hepatic sphincters, well studied in seals (Thornton et al ., ), but also observed in man (Gibson, ; Cavalcanti et al ., ). The circumstantial evidence from this study is the observed delayed increase in hepatic vein outflow.…”

Estudo morfométrico comparando duas alternativas de reconstrução da via de efluxo venoso do enxerto no método piggyback de transplante de fígado

“…Por possuírem menor quantidade de fibras musculares e elásticas, as veias têm uma conformação predominantemente elíptica no cadáver, diversamente das artérias que tendem a ter sua forma original circular preservada. 61,71,72,73 Na maioria dos casos, a secção transversal da VCI determina uma figura ovalada e não circular, com diâmetro anteroposterior menor que o transversal. 1 Assim, diversos autores, utilizando metodologias variadas, encontraram resultados discrepantes em relação ao diâmetro da VCI.…”