Anomalous pattern of origin of the left gastric, splenic, and common hepatic arteries arising independently from the abdominal aorta.

Abstract

The celiac trunk is the first unpaired midline branch of the abdominal aorta that usually gives rise to the left gastric artery (LGA), the common hepatic artery (CHA) and the splenic artery (SpA). Despite this classic arrangement, many variations exist. We describe an atypical case of an absent CT and anomalous origin of the LGA, CHA and the SpA from the abdominal aorta using multidetector computed tomography angiography (MDCTA) in a 72-year-old male patient. The LGA arose from the anterior wall of the AA at the level of the T12-L1 intervertebral disk [33.8 mm above the origin of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA)]. The SpA originated directly from the anterolateral wall of the AA at the junction of the upper-third and middle-third of the L1 vertebral body (24.8 mm above the origin of the SMA). The CHA branched directly from the anterior wall of the AA at the level of the middle-third of the L1 vertebral body (17 mm above the origin of the SMA). The 64-slice MDCTA system has become the primary tool for evaluation of abdominal blood vessels. It is important to be aware of such a variation as it can have a significant impact on surgical and clinical practice.