Contribution to the study of functional architecture of ligamentum venosum in adult man.

Seventeen specimens, removed at necropsy from adult individuals, were submitted to different methods: a) dissection under stereomicroscope; b) 100 mum panorganographic sections stained by Azan, Weigert's resorcin-fucsin; c) total preparations to be examined under polarized light; d) 10 mum thick histological sections stained by Verhöff-van Gieson; e) silver impregnation after CAJAL-DE CASTRO. The AA. refer the constitution of the ligament as an integration of two opposite directed systems which are made up by collagenous and mioelastic elements disposed like a twisted cord in the middle portion and enlarged like a fan toward more or less extensive areas of the left branch of portal vein and of the ensemble formed by left hepatic vein and inferior vena cava. The bundles are mainly spread by the most external layers of these vessels, and also it has been observed fibrous components that from the vessels directed to the ligament. They call attention for the amount of nerves and nerve fibers in that structure. The AA. remark, on functional bases, taking as probable the participation of the ligament on the control of the changes in the bend made up by portal vein, "pars transversa trunci sinistri" and "pars umbilicalis trunci sinistri".