Venous occlusion test applied to the tributaries of the superior mesenteric veins of the pancreas head infiltrated by tumor

A 64-year-old white woman presented with cholestatic jaundice, weight loss and a solid lesion in the pancreas head. At multislice computed tomography, a superior mesenteric vein (SMV) and one of it tributaries showed signs of tumor infiltration. At surgery, a venous occlusion test applied to the infiltrated tributary of the SMV showed immediate venous congestion in two-thirds of the distal small intestine. No reconstruction attempt was made due to the small size of the vessel. A biliodigestive anastomosis and lymph node biopsy was performed. The herein assessed case report suggests that the ileal tributary occlusion test applied to patients presenting pancreatic adenocarcinoma, with invasion of the tributaries of the SMV, may be effective in contraindicating resection procedures.