Blood Supply of the Abdomen

Question 1

What structures are contained in the foregut? What branch off of the abdominal aorta supplies the foregut?

Answer 1

Distal 1/3 of esophagus
Stomach
1st and 2nd parts of duodenum
Liver and gallbladder
Pancreas
Spleen

Supplied by celiac trunk

Question 2

What structures are contained in the midgut? What branch off of the abdominal aorta supplies the midgut?

Answer 2

3rd and 4th part of the duodenum
jejunum and ileum
Cecum and appendix
Ascending colon
Proximal 2/3 of the transverse colon

Supplied by the superior mesenteric artery

Question 3

What structures are contained in the hindgut? What branch off of the abdominal aorta supplies the hindgut?

Answer 3

Distal 1/3 of transverse colon
Descending colon
Sigmoid colon
Rectum
Superior 1/2 of anal canal

Supplied by the inferior mesenteric artery

Question 4

At what level of the spinal cord does the celiac trunk branch off of the abdominal aorta?

Answer 4

T12, just after abdominal aorta emerges from diaphragm

Question 5

In what space does the celiac trunk lie?

Answer 5

Retroperitoneal space

Question 6

What are the 3 main branches of the celiac trunk?

Answer 6

Left gastric artery
Splenic artery
Common hepatic artery

Question 7

What is the left gastric artery a branch of, and what other branches does it give off? What does it supply?

Answer 7

The left gastric artery is a branch of the celiac trunk

Gives off the esophageal branches
Descends on lesser curvature of the stomach within lesser omentum (anastomoses with right gastric artery)
Commonly gives an accessory hepatic artery

Question 8

What is the splenic artery a branch of, through what ligament does it reach the spleen, and what are the branches of the splenic artery?

Answer 8

Is a branch of the celiac trunk
Reaches the spleen within the lienorenal ligament

Pancreatic branches
Short gastric arteries
Left gastroepiploic artery
Splenic branches

Question 9

What is the left gastroepiploic artery a branch of, and what does it anastomose with? What is that artery a branch of?

Answer 9

Left gastroepiploic artery is a branch of the splenic artery (off of the celiac trunk)
Anastomoses with the right gastroepiploic artery (which is a branch of the gastroduodenal artery, off of the common hepatic artery of the celiac trunk)

Question 10

What arteries supply the fundus of the stomach, and what are they a branch of? Within what ligament do these arteries reach the fundus of the stomach?

Answer 10

Short gastric arteries supply the fundus of the stomach
they are a branch of the splenic artery of the celiac trunk
reach the fundus of the stomach within the gastrolienal ligament

Question 11

What is the common hepatic artery a branch of, and what does it branch into?

Answer 11

Common hepatic artery is a branch of the celiac trunk
Divides into:
Hepatic artery proper
Gastroduodenal artery

Question 12

What is the hepatic artery proper a branch of, what does it branch into, and what ligament does it enter?

Answer 12

The hepatic artery proper is a branch of the common hepatic artery of the celiac trunk
Branches into:
right hepatic artery
left hepatic artery
cystic artery (usually) - may give rise to accessory cystic arteries
right gastric artery (usually)

Enters the hepatoduodenal ligament

Question 13

What is the gastroduodenal artery a branch of?
What is its relation to the duodenum?
What are the 2 principal branches?

Answer 13

Gastroduodenal artery is a branch of the common hepatic artery (off of the celiac trunk)
Passes behind the first segment of the duodenum
Branches into the right gastroepiploic artery and the superior pancreaticoduodenal arteries (branches into anterior and posterior branches)

Question 14

What arteries supplies the lesser curvature of the stomach and the distal 1/3 of esophagus?

Answer 14

Lesser curvature of stomach supplies by right and left gastric arteries
Distal 1/3 of esophagus supplied by esophageal branches of the left gastric artery

Question 15

What arteries supply the fundus of the stomach?

Answer 15

Short gastric arteries (off of the splenic artery of the celiac trunk)

Question 16

What arteries supply the greater curvature of the stomach?

Answer 16

The right and left gastroepiploic arteries
(Right is a branch off of the gastroduodenal artery off of the common hepatic off of the celiac)
(left is a branch of the splenic artery off of the celiac trunk)

Question 17

What arteries supply the pancreas?

Answer 17

Pancreatic branches off of the splenic artery
Superior pancreaticoduodenal artery
Inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery

Question 18

What artery supplies the spleen?

Answer 18

Splenic artery

Question 19

What arteries supply the liver?

Answer 19

Right and left hepatic arteries (30% of the blood)
Portal vein (70% of the blood, so most of the blood is venous coursing through the portal vein system)

Question 20

What artery supplies the gallbladder?

Answer 20

Cystic artery (branch of the right hepatic artery

Question 21

What arteries supply the duodenum?

Answer 21

Superior pancreaticoduodenal atery (from the gastroduodenal artery

Question 22

At what level of the spinal column does the superior mesenteric artery arise?

Answer 22

Arises at the level of L1 retroperitoneally

Question 23

Describe the course of the superior mesenteric artery

Answer 23

Runs downward and to the right behind the neck of the pancreas
Runs in front of the third segment of the duodenum

Question 24

What are the main branches of the superior mesenteric artery?

Answer 24

Inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery
Jejunal and ileal branches
Ileocolic artery
Right colic artery
middle colic artery

Question 25

Which side of the superior mesenteric artery do the jejunal and ileal branches arise from? What do the jejunal and ileal branches give rise to, and what do those give rise to?

Answer 25

Jejunal and ileal branches emerge on the left side of the superior mesenteric artery
These branches form a series of arcades in the mesenteries
Arcades give rise to straight arteries (arteria recta)

Question 26

What side of the superior mesenteric artery does the ileocolic artery arise from? What structure does it head towards?

Answer 26

Arises from the right side of the superior mesenteric artery

Passes in mesentery toward cecum

Question 27

What supplies the ascending colon? What supplies the proximal 2/3 of the transverse colon? What are these arteries branches of?

Answer 27

Ascending colon is supplied by the right colic artery
Proximal 2/3 of transverse colon is supplied by the middle colic artery
Both are branches of the superior mesenteric artery

Question 28

At what vertebral segment does the inferior mesenteric artery arise?

Answer 28

Arises at L3 retroperitoneally

Question 29

What are the 3 main branches of the inferior mesenteric artery?

Answer 29

Left colic artery
Sigmoidal arteries
Superior rectal artery (is a direct continuation of the inferior mesenteric artery)

Question 30

What is the left colic artery a branch of, and what does it supply?

Answer 30

Left colic artery is a branch of the inferior mesenteric artery
Supplies the distal 1/3 of the transverse colon and upper part of the descending colon

Question 31

What are the sigmoidal arteries a branch of, and what do they supply?

Answer 31

Sigmoidal arteries are branches of the inferior mesenteric artery
Supply the lower part of the descending colon and the sigmoid colon

Question 32

What is the superior rectal artery a branch of, and what does it supply?

Answer 32

Superior rectal artery is a branch of inferior mesenteric artery (is a direct branch of the IMA)
Supplies the rectum and the proximal 1/2 of the anal canal

Question 33

Summary of blood supply to midgut:
What artery supplies the 3rd and 4th parts of the duodenum?
What artery supplies the jejunum and ileum?
What artery supplies the cecum and appendix?
What artery supplies the ascending colon?
What artery supplies the proximal 2/3 of transverse colon?

Answer 33

3rd and 4th part of duodenum = inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery (also supplies pancreas in foregut via anastomose wit superior pancreaticoduodenal artery)
Jejunum and ileum = jejunal and ileal branches. Also supplied by the ileocolic artery
Cecum and appendix = ileocolic artery
Ascending colon = right colic artery
Proximal 2/3 of transverse colon = middle colic artery