Aberrant left gastric vein: what should surgeons know?

Purpose: Aberrant left gastric vein is a rare variant and hardly known by surgeons. Its misidentification may lead to accidental bleeding. More importantly, it can also be the root of hypertensive gastropathy in cirrhotic patients and tumor spread in patients with gastric cancer. Here, we describe and provide imaging data of the three patterns of aberrant left gastric veins.

Methods: Over the past 5 years, three cases were noted, each one corresponding to one of the three variants.

Results: Aberrant left gastric vein is a rare anatomical entity and has rarely been reported. Its normal anatomy and variants, embryological origins, radiological analysis, and clinical implications are all discussed, bringing light to what surgeons should know when encountering an aberrant left gastric vein.

Conclusion: Surgeons should be aware of the types of ALGV, its associated arterial variations, the presence of pseudolesion or not, and the potential atrophy of liver segment.