Splenic hilum
Hilum splenicum
Lymphatic & immuneLymphaticsAbdomenLeft side
- What it is
- The slit on the concave visceral surface where the splenic artery and vein, lymphatics and nerves enter and leave, wrapped in the gastrosplenic and splenorenal ligaments. The tail of the pancreas reaches right into the hilum.
- Function
- Entry and exit for the spleen's rich blood supply, about 5 % of the cardiac output (250-300 ml per minute).
- Size
- About 5-6 cm long; the splenic artery splits into 5-7 hilar branches
- Clinical note
- Because the pancreatic tail sits in the hilum, splenectomy can injure it and cause a pancreatic fistula. Accessory spleens (splenunculi) are found near the hilum in 10-15 % of people.