Case

A 75-year-old patient comes in complaining of abdominal discomfort and have been unable to defecate for 3 days.  They feel bloated with crampy pain from the abdomen.  On physical examination the left lower quadrant is tender to the touch. 

Endoscopy imaging is also performed and a large mass in the ascending colon wall identified.  A needle biopsy is performed and evaluated, showing a large bowel carcinoma is present with evidence is had entered a metastatic stage.

 

Question 4/4 - If this carcinoma metastasizes, map out the route cancerous cells would follow to the heart if they follow the venous return path?

Click on your selected option(s) below  (correct = 2, over-thinking = 3+)

Case Complete















- Sigmoid colon veins
- Inferior mesenteric vein
- Splenic vein
- Portal vein
- Liver
- Hepatic veins
- Inferior vena cava

Venous blood from the sigmoid colon returns to the inferior mesenteric vein via sigmoid colon veins. The inferior mesenteric vein joins the splenic vein, which in turn merges with the superior mesenteric vein to form the portal vein.

The portal vein carries blood into the liver for processing. Blood from the liver passes into the hepatic veins (not to be confused with the input veins of the portal system, hepatic veins are output veins). The hepatic veins return blood to the inferior vena cava which connects to the heart.