Extensive varices of ileocecum

A man was admitted to our hospital because of intestinal reddish bleeding. Colonic varices were found at the cecum by colonoscopy. Angiography of the superior mesenteric artery showed that blood vessels were scant from the end of the ileum to the ascending colon. An operative view revealed the varices, but there was no trace of the ileocecal vein. This case, presenting a deficit of the ileocecal vein, indicated that the blood flow could not returnviathe ileocecal vein, and therefore there was an outflow through the varices to the surrounding intestine or abdominal veins. Such a case is probably unrepresented in the literature because it was caused by the total deficiency of the ileocecal vein and it was in the right colon.