La d A patient comes with abdominal pain, jaundice, and portal hypertension. Anastomosis between which of the following veins is seen?

Correct Answer: D. Esophageal veins and left gastric veins

Portal hypertension causes reversal of blood flow in portal tributaries, creating portosystemic anastomoses. The left gastric vein (coronary vein) drains the lesser curvature of the stomach and lower esophagus into the portal system. When portal pressure rises, blood backs up through the left gastric vein into the esophageal venous plexus, which drains via the azygos system (systemic circulation). This anastomosis between esophageal and left gastric veins is clinically critical—it produces esophageal varices, the most dangerous portosystemic shunt. These varices are prone to rupture, causing life-threatening hematemesis. In Indian clinical practice, esophageal varices are the leading cause of death in cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension. The patient's triad of abdominal pain (from portal hypertension), jaundice (hepatic dysfunction), and the anatomical basis for varices all point to this esophageal–left gastric venous anastomosis. Other portosystemic shunts (rectal, colic, phrenic) are less clinically significant and do not produce the same hemorrhagic risk.

Why the other options are wrong

A. Sigmoid and superior rectal veins — This anastomosis occurs at the rectum (superior rectal vein drains to portal system; middle/inferior rectal veins drain to systemic circulation). While a real portosystemic shunt, it produces internal hemorrhoids, not esophageal varices. It is clinically less dangerous than esophageal varices and does not explain the jaundice-portal hypertension-hemorrhage triad in this case. B. Superior rectal and phrenic veins — This pairing is anatomically incorrect. The phrenic vein drains the diaphragm directly to the IVC (systemic), not to the portal system. Superior rectal vein does form a portosystemic anastomosis, but not with phrenic vein. This is an NBE distractor combining real vessels in a false anatomical relationship. C. Left colic vein and middle colic veins — Both left and middle colic veins are portal tributaries (they drain into the superior mesenteric vein, which feeds the portal system). They do not form a portosystemic anastomosis because neither drains to systemic circulation. This option confuses intra-portal connections with portosystemic shunts, a common NBE trap.

High-Yield Facts

Mnemonics

SHUNT (Portosystemic Anastomoses in Portal Hypertension) Stomach (left gastric → esophageal) — varices | Hemorrhoids (superior rectal) | Umbilical (paraumbilical) | Neck (paraesophageal) | Tail (retroperitoneal). Use this to recall all major shunts; esophageal is always first (most dangerous). Memory Hook: 'Coronary Bleeds' The left gastric (coronary) vein is named for its course along the lesser curvature like a coronary artery. In portal hypertension, it becomes the 'coronary' of bleeding—the most critical vessel to remember for esophageal varices.

NBE Trap

NBE pairs anatomically real vessels (sigmoid, rectal, colic, phrenic) to distract from the clinically critical esophageal–left gastric anastomosis. Students who memorize only "portosystemic shunts exist" without linking them to clinical outcomes (hemorrhage risk) fall for rectal or colic options. The key discriminator is which anastomosis causes life-threatening bleeding in the setting of jaundice and portal hypertension—only esophageal varices fit.

Clinical Pearl

In Indian practice, a cirrhotic patient presenting with hematemesis + jaundice + ascites is assumed to have esophageal varices until proven otherwise. The left gastric vein is the anatomical culprit; endoscopic band ligation targets these varices. Recognition of this anastomosis is essential for understanding why esophageal bleeding dominates the mortality picture in portal hypertension, not rectal or colonic bleeding.

_Reference: Robbins Ch. 16 (Portal Hypertension & Portosystemic Shunts); Bailey & Love Ch. 68 (Esophageal Varices); Harrison Ch. 286 (Cirrhosis & Portal Hypertension)_