THE ABDOMINAL AORTA 



591 



Relations. — In front, the aorta is successively crossed from above downward by the right 

 lobe of the liver, the coehac (solar) plexus, the lesser omentum, the termination of the oesophagus 

 in the stomach, the ascending layer of the transverse meso-colon, the splenic vein or commence- 

 ment of the portal vein, the pancreas, the left renal vein, the third portion of the duodenum, 

 the mesentery, the aortic plexus of the sympathetic nerve, the internal spermatic or ovarian 

 arteries, the inferior mesenteric artery, the median lumbar lymphatic nodes and lymphatic 

 vessels, and the small intestines. 



Of these structures the coehac (solar) plexus, the aortic plexus, the splenic vein or the 

 commencement of the portal vein, the pancreas, the left renal vein, the duodenum, the lym- 

 phatics, the spermatic or ovarian arteries, and the peritoneal reflexions are in contact with the 

 aorta. 



Behind, the aorta Hes upon the bodies of the lumbar vertebrae and intervening intervertebral 

 cartilages, the anterior longitudinal ligament, the origin of the left medial crus of the diaphragm, 

 and the left lumbar veins. 



Fig. 479. — The Abdominal Aorta and its Branches, with the Inferior Vena Cava and 



ITS Tributaries 



Cystic artery 



Hepatic duct 



Cystic duct 



Common duct 



Portal vein 



Gastro-duodenal br. 



Right gastric artery 



Hepatic artery _ 



Right suprarenal vein __ 



Inferior suprarenal 

 artery 



Renal artery — 

 Renal vein 



Vena cava inferior 

 Kidney 



Right spermatic vein 



Right internal spermatic 



artery 



Quadratus lumborum 



muscle 



Right lumbar artery 



and left lumbar vein 



Ureteric branch of — 



spermatic artery 



Middle sacral vessels. 



Left lobe of liver 



(Esophagus 



— Left inferior phrenic 



artery 

 Right inferior phrenic 



artery 

 Superior suprarenal 

 Left gastric artery 

 Inferior suprarenal 

 Splenic artery 



Left phrenic vein 

 Left suprarenal vein 

 Superior mesenteric 



artery 

 Kidney 



Ureteric branch of renal 

 Left spermatic vein 



— Ureter 



Left internal spermatic 

 artery 



Inferior mesenteric 



artery 



Ureteric branch of 



spermatic 



Ureteric branch of 



common iliac 

 Common iliac artery 



External iliac artery 

 Hypogastric artery 



On the right side from above downward are the right medial crus of the diaphragm, the 

 great splanchnic nerve, the caudate lobe of the liver, the receptaculum chyli and beginning 

 of the thoracic duct (the two latter structures are on a posterior plane), the right coehac (semi- 

 lunar) ganglion, and the inferior vena cava. 



On the left side are the left medial crus of the diaphragm, the left splanchnic nerve, and 

 the left coeliac (semilunar) ganglion. The pancreas is also in contact with the aorta on the 

 left side, and the small intestines are separated from it only by peritoneum. 



Branches of the Abdominal Aorta 



The branches of the abdominal aorta usually arise in the following order from 

 above downward (figs. 479, 480) : — ■ 



(1) Right and left inferior phrenic; (2) coeliac; (3) right and left middle 

 suprarenal; (4) right and left first lumbar; (5) superior mesenteric; (6) right and 



