Persistence of the hepatic segment of the left inferior vena cava in man and its relation to the ductus venosus development.

An anomalous vein indicating the persistence of the hepatic segment of the inferior vena cava (left vena revehens) was found in a 60-year-old male cadaver. This vein emerging from the left lobe of the liver passed through the diaphragm at 3 cm leftward of the vena cava foramen and entered the coronary sinus at its termination, which in turn opened into the right atrium. A more detailed dissection of the liver showed that the ligamentum venosum originating from the left protal vein connected directly to the anomalous vein. No persistent left superior and inferior venae cavae were present. These results suggest that this persistency is not associated simply with the existence of the left venous system as stated previously, but is closely related to the formation of the ductus venosus.