Eur J Anat, 20 (4): 361-363 (2016)

A rare variation of the celiac trunk: a case report

Constanze Nossol, Stephanie Henel, Julius Brosch, Christina Maria Junghans, Olaf Laddey, Sebastian Bartel, Hermann-Josef Rothkötter

Institute of Anatomy, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Strasse 44,39120 Magdeburg, Germany

ABSTRACT Vascular variations of visceral arteries are common and usually asymptomatic, but they become important in patients suffering from gastrointestinal bleeding and undergoing diagnostic angiography or an invasive vascular catheter intervention or operative procedure. In our institute about 200 anatomical specimens were dissected in the last ten years. However, a gastroduodenal artery as a branch of the celiac trunk and a separated duodenal artery, originated from the left proper hepatic artery, were found for the first time. Furthermore, we observed a second left gastric artery that supplies the fundic area of the stomach. Arterial variations are very important in abdominal operative procedures and they need to be known in order to avoid complications in clinical medicine during radiological and surgical interventions.

Keywords: Anatomical variation, Celiac trunk, Gastroduodenal artery, Duodenal artery, Proper hepatic artery