Revision Aid: Entry #10
Topic #10: Blood supply of the digestive tract:
- The COELIAC TRUNK is the first branch of the abdominal aorta, and supplies structures of the foregut. It has three main branches:
- The SPLENIC ARTERY, which supplies the spleen as well as giving off the dorsal pancreatic artery, short gastrics, and the left gastro-omental artery
- The COMMON HEPATIC ARTERY, which supplies the liver via the hepatic artery proper, the stomach via the right gastric and the pylorus and duodenum via the gastroduodenal artery.
- The LEFT GASTRIC ARTERY, which supplies the stomach and also has hepatic and oesophageal branches.
- The SUPERIOR MESENTERIC ARTERY branches off at L1 in the transpyloric plane. It supplies the midgut:
- Inferior pancreatoduodenal artery supplies the pancreas and duodenum
- Right colic supplies ascending colon
- Middle colic supplies transverse colon
- Intestinal supplies ileum and jejunum
- Ileocolic branch is the terminal branch of the SMA, and supplies the ileum, caecum and appendix
- The INFERIOR MESENTERIC ARTERY is the last anterior branch of the abdominal aorta, and supplies the hindgut:
- Left colic supplies the descending colon
- Sigmoid branches supply the sigmoid colon
- Superior rectal supplies part of the rectum. This is aided by the middle and inferior rectal arteries, from the internal iliac.