VISCEEAL BEANCHES OF THE ABDOMINAL AOETA. 



929 



Relations. As the short trunk lies behind the omental bursa it runs forwards, below 

 the caudate lobe of the liver" and above the upper border of the pancreas and the splenic 

 vein. It is surrounded by the coeliac plexus of the sympathetic, and has the right cceliac 

 ganglion to its right side and the left coeliac ganglion to its left side. 



Branches. (a) The left gastric (O.T. coronary) is the smallest branch of the 

 coeliac artery. It runs obliquely upwards and to the left, and reaches the 

 lesser curvature of the stomach close to the oesophagus. It then turns sharply 

 forwards, downwards, and to the right, and runs towards the pyloric end of the 

 stomach to anastomose with the right gastric branch of the hepatic artery. In 

 the first part of its course the artery lies posterior to the omental bursa ; it then 

 passes into the left gastro-pancreatic fold, and is continued between the layers 

 of the lesser omentum. 



Inferior 

 phrenic 

 arteries 



Short gastric 

 / arteries 



Cystic artery 

 Superior pancreatico- 

 duodenal artery 

 Gastro-duodenal artery 

 Right gastro-epiploic artery 



ft gastro- 

 epiploic artery 

 Splenic artery 

 Left gastric artery 



Hepatic artery 

 Right gastric artery 



FIG. 771. THE CCELIAC ARTERY AND ITS BRANCHES. 



ranches. (i.) (Esophageal. When the left gastric artery reaches the stomach it gives off 

 an cesophageal branch which passes upwards, on the ossophagus, and breaks up into branches 

 which anastomose with cesophageal branches of the thoracic aorta and with branches of the 

 inferior phrenic, (ii.) Gastric branches are distributed to both surfaces of the stomach. Th^ey 

 anastomose with the short gastric branches of the splenic, and with branches of the gastro- 

 ; epiploic arterial arch on the greater curvature of the stomach. 



(&) Arteria Lienalis. The splenic artery (Fig. 771) is the largest branch of 

 the cceliac artery. It runs a tortuous course behind the stomach and the omental 

 bursa, and along the upper border of the pancreas. It lies anterior to the left 

 suprarenal gland and the upper end of the left kidney, and passes forwards 

 between the two layers of the lieno-renal ligament, in which it divides into from 

 five to eight terminal branches which enter the hilum of the spleen and supply 

 the splenic substance. It is accompanied by the splenic vein, which lies below it. 



Branches. (i.) Pancreatic. Numerous small branches are given off to the pancreas. 

 A larger branch (pancreatica magna), occasionally present, enters the upper border of the 

 pancreas, about the junction of its middle and left thirds, and runs from left to right in 

 the substance of the pancreas, a little above and posterior to the pancreatic duct. Both 

 the small and large arteries supply the substance of the pancreas, and anastomose with 



s another and with branches of the pancreatico-duodenal arteries. 



hi.) The short gastric branches (O.T. vasa brevia), four or five in number, are given 



60 



