Canadian Medical Guide > Anatomy > Cardiovascular System > Blood Vessels > Veins > Portal System Terms and Definitions

Portal System

Medical Definition:	A system of vessels in which blood, after passing through one capillary bed, is conveyed through a second set of capillaries before it returns to the systemic circulation. It pertains especially to the hepatic portal system.
Guide Notes:	/radiogr: consider also PORTOGRAPHY

Portal System Categories.

	Mesenteric Veins - Veins which return blood from the intestines; the inferior mesenteric vein empties into the splenic vein, the superior mesenteric vein joins the splenic vein to form the portal vein.
	Portal Vein - A short thick vein formed by union of the superior mesenteric vein and the splenic vein.
	Splenic Vein - Vein formed by the union (at the hilus of the spleen) of several small veins from the stomach, pancreas, spleen and mesentery.
	Umbilical Veins - Veins which carry oxygenated, nutrient-rich blood from the placenta and which are obliterated in the first few days after birth.

Portal System Medical Definitions and Terms

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