Angiographic branching patterns of the splenic artery

Abstract

Most previous studies of the splenic artery were cadaver dissections, and in vivo anatomical studies have been reported only rarely. Selective arteriography could be used as an in vivo study of the branching patterns of the splenic artery. Forty-three splenic arteriograms and seven celiac arteriograms were included in this study. There were 36 males and 14 females, aged 23–67 years (mean 48 years). The branching patterns of the splenic artery show 80% dorsal pancreatic, 98% pancreatic magna, 84% caudal pancreatic, 76% superior polar, 24% inferior polar, 46% left gastroepiploic, 28% accessory left gastric, 100% terminal superior and inferior, and 28% terminal media arteries. The branching patterns of the splenic artery were similar to the many reports of cadaver dissection in the Korean literature and there was a more frequent incidence of splenic arterial branches than in the reports from the study of Caucasians except for the accessory left gastric artery.