A variant source of arterial supply to the ascending, transverse and descending colon
Anatomic variations involving arterial supply of the large intestines are of clinical significance. Variations range from the pattern of origin, branching and territorial supply. The colon, the part of the large intestine, usually receives its arterial blood supply from branches of the superior and inferior mesenteric arteries. However, anatomic variation in this vascular arrangement has been reported, with vascular anatomy of the right colon being described as complex and more variable compared with the left colon. During routine cadaveric dissection of the supracolic and infracolic viscera, we encountered an additional mesenteric artery originating directly from the anterior surface of the abdominal aorta between the origins of the superior and inferior mesenteric arteries. This additional “inferior mesenteric artery” ran obliquely superiorly toward the left colon giving rise to two branches supplying the distal part of the ascending colon, the transverse colon and the proximal part of the descending colon. Awareness and knowledge of this anatomic variation are important for radiologists and surgeons to improve the quality of surgery and avoid both intra- and postoperative complications during surgical procedures of the colon.
Other Information
Published in: Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
See article on publisher's website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00276-019-02245-4
Funding
Open Access funding provided by the Qatar National Library.
History
Language
- English
Publisher
Springer NaturePublication Year
- 2019
License statement
This Item is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.Institution affiliated with
- Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar