Investigation of the Portal Circulation VIA the Umbilical Vein

The umbilical vein of the adult or the so called ligamentum teres which had been long considered by anatomists and embryologists as an obliterated and thrombosed cord can be reopened easily by minor surgical procedure as proved by Gonzales Carbalhaes in 1959. 1 The reopened vein has been used for various diagnostic and therapeutic procedures which has been published by us elsewhere". As this procedure is performed frequently in our department and about 120 catheterizations were performed from 1968 till 1973, we tried to use this convenient route for anatomic study and hemodynamic and pharmacodynamic investigat.ions of the portal circulation. Venous ligament, the embryonic ductus venosus Arantii had been reopened in our post mortem studies. This embryonic. venous channel shunts the blood from the umbilical vein through the portal vein to the inferior vena cava (Fig. 1). Thus the embryonic portocaval shunt was restored. The remnant was easily reopened when the probe was pushed against the wall of the left branch of the portal vein, after it had passed the umbilicoportal junction. (Figs. 2, 3) We did not succeed till now in maintaining this shunt patent in the living patient.