Splenic artery
Updates to Article Attributes
The splenic artery is one of three branches coeliac trunk and supplies the spleen as well as large parts of the stomach and pancreas.
Gross anatomy
Origin and course
The splenic artery is one of the terminal branches of the coeliac trunk, passing from the coeliac axis toward the splenic hilum, travelling to the left across the left crus of diaphragm and left psoas muscle. It is a torturoustortuous artery, running superiorly to the pancreas with the splenic vein inferoposteriorly before turning forward into the splenorenal ligament to the hilum of the spleen.
Near the splenic hilum the splenic artery divides into superior and inferior terminal branches, with each terminal branch further dividing into four to six intrasplenic segmental branches.
Branches and supply
- pancreatic branches including the dorsal pancreatic artery, transverse pancreatic artery and greater pancreatic artery (arteria pancreatica magna)
- supply neck, body and tail of the pancreas
-
short gastric arteries
- arising before the splenic artery enters the splenic hilum
- run in the gastrosplenic ligament to supply the fundus and upper part of greater curvature of the stomach, and anastomose with the left gastric artery over the fundus
- supplies cardia and fundal regions of the stomach
-
left gastroepiploic artery
- runs in the greater omentum along the greater curvature of the stomach to anastomose with the right gastroepiploic artery
Variant anatomy
- separate origin from the abdominal aorta rather than the
coeliccoeliac trunk (~8%)
Related pathology
-<p>The <strong>splenic artery</strong> is one of three branches <a href="/articles/coeliac-artery">coeliac trunk</a> and supplies the <a href="/articles/spleen-1">spleen</a> as well as large parts of the <a href="/articles/stomach">stomach</a> and <a href="/articles/pancreas">pancreas</a>.</p><h4>Gross anatomy</h4><h5>Origin and course</h5><p>The splenic artery is one of the terminal branches of the coeliac trunk, passing from the coeliac axis toward the splenic hilum, travelling to the left across the left crus of diaphragm and left psoas muscle. It is a torturous artery, running superiorly to the pancreas with the <a href="/articles/splenic-vein">splenic vein</a> inferoposteriorly before turning forward into the <a href="/articles/splenorenal-ligament">splenorenal ligament</a> to the hilum of the spleen.</p><p>Near the splenic hilum the splenic artery divides into superior and inferior terminal branches, with each terminal branch further dividing into four to six intrasplenic segmental branches. </p><h5>Branches and supply</h5><ul>- +<p>The <strong>splenic artery</strong> is one of three branches <a href="/articles/coeliac-artery">coeliac trunk</a> and supplies the <a href="/articles/spleen-1">spleen</a> as well as large parts of the <a href="/articles/stomach">stomach</a> and <a href="/articles/pancreas">pancreas</a>.</p><h4>Gross anatomy</h4><h5>Origin and course</h5><p>The splenic artery is one of the terminal branches of the coeliac trunk, passing from the coeliac axis toward the splenic hilum, travelling to the left across the left crus of diaphragm and left psoas muscle. It is a tortuous artery, running superiorly to the pancreas with the <a href="/articles/splenic-vein">splenic vein</a> inferoposteriorly before turning forward into the <a href="/articles/splenorenal-ligament">splenorenal ligament</a> to the hilum of the spleen.</p><p>Near the splenic hilum the splenic artery divides into superior and inferior terminal branches, with each terminal branch further dividing into four to six intrasplenic segmental branches. </p><h5>Branches and supply</h5><ul>
-</ul><h4>Variant anatomy</h4><ul><li>separate origin from the <a href="/articles/abdominal-aorta-1">abdominal aorta</a> rather than the coelic trunk (~8%)</li></ul><h4>Related pathology</h4><ul><li><a href="/articles/splenic-artery-aneurysm">splenic artery aneurysm</a></li></ul>- +</ul><h4>Variant anatomy</h4><ul><li>separate origin from the <a href="/articles/abdominal-aorta-1">abdominal aorta</a> rather than the coeliac trunk (~8%)</li></ul><h4>Related pathology</h4><ul><li><a href="/articles/splenic-artery-aneurysm">splenic artery aneurysm</a></li></ul>