morphology of the inferior mesenteric vein in cadavers

The inferior mesenteric vein (imv) shows considerable anatomical variation, which is clinically relevant in colorectal and hepatopancreatobiliary surgery. however, no systematic study has described the imv in vietnamese adults, limiting the applicability of international anatomical data to this population. this study aimed to test the hypothesis that the imv in vietnamese adults exhibits distinct morphological features compared with other populations, and to provide comprehensive data on its origin, branching pattern, dimensions, and drainage variants. a cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on 35 formalin-preserved vietnamese cadavers. the imv was examined regarding its vertebral origin, number of branches, diameter, length, and drainage pattern into the portal venous system. the imv predominantly originated at the s1–s2 vertebral level (80%) and drained into the splenic vein (74.3%). three main branches were present in 85.7% of cases. the mean diameter at confluence was 6.3 ± 1.1 mm, and the mean length was 12.8 ± 2.4 cm. four drainage variants were identified, with rare indirect drainage into the middle colic vein (2.9%). this study provides the first comprehensive anatomical description of the imv in vietnamese adults, demonstrating both similarities and notable differences compared with other populations. these findings highlight the importance of population-specific anatomical data to optimize surgical planning and reduce complications.