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Main branches | Course | Branches and their course | Distribution |
Splenic artery | o Along superior margin of pancreas o Enters the splenorenal ligament and spleen | Pancreatic branches: o Posterior to pancreas Dorsal pancreatic artery: o Posterior to pancreas o Anastomoses with greater pancreatic artery and continues as inferior pancreatic artery Greater pancreatic artery: o Caudad along the posterior aspect of tail of pancreas o Anastomosis at pancreatic tail with dorsal pancreatic artery and inferior pancreatic artery | Pancreas |
| | Posterior gastric artery: o Runs craniad in phrenicosplenic ligament to gastric fundus | Stomach (posterior aspect of fundus) |
| | Short gastric arteries: o Course in gastrosplenic ligament to gastric fundus | Stomach (fundus and greater curvature) |
| | Left gastro-omental artery: o Courses in gastrocolic ligament to greater curvature o Anastomosis with right gastro-omental artery | Stomach (fundus and greater curvature) |
Left gastric artery | o Runs to lesser curvature of stomach o Anastomosis with right gastric artery | Direct branches | Stomach (lesser curvature) |
| | Esophageal branches | Esophagus |
Common hepatic artery | o Runs right to hepatic portal o Divides into proper hepatic artery and gastroduodenal artery | Proper hepatic artery o Main branch of common hepatic artery o Arises posterior to pylorus o Runs in hepatoduodenal ligament together with hepatic portal vein and common bile duct to hepatic portal o Gives rise to three branches: | |
| | 1. Right gastric artery: o Runs in lesser omentum to lesser curvature of stomach o Anastomosis with left gastric artery | Stomach (right lesser curvature) |
| | 2. Right hepatic artery | Liver (right half) Gallbladder (cystic artery) Part of caudate lobe |
| | 3. Left hepatic artery | Liver (left half) Part of caudate lobe |
| | Gastroduodenal artery o Courses posterior to lesser omentum to pancreas o Divides into 2 branches: | |
| | 1. Right gastro-omental artery: o Runs to greater curvature o Anastomosis with left gastro-omental artery | Pancreas, duodenum, stomach |
| | 2. Anterior and posterior superior pancreaticoduodenal arteries: o Form a vascular plexus around the pancreatic head with branches of the inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery | |