Portal vein

About 75% of the blood supply to the liver comes from the portal vein, which is formed by the union of superior mesenteric and splenic veins.

Inside the liver, blood from the portal vein and from the hepatic artery flows through the tortuous capillaries called sinusoids. The venous outflow to the inferior vena cava from the liver is via the hepatic veins and obstruction to this outflow causes Budd–Chiari syndrome.

The normal portal pressure is about 5-8mm Hg: in portal hypertension it rises above 10–12mm Hg.

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