Variations in the vascular supply of pancreas and transverse colon: A case report

Abstract

During anatomical dissection of the abdominal cavity of an adult male corpse, a changing pattern of vascular supply of pancreas and of the transverse colon was observed. The inferior pancreatic artery and the middle colic artery arose from a common trunk of the superior mesenteric artery. Moreover, the lienal artery did not direct a dorsal branch to the neck of the pancreas, but rather sent two greater pancreatic arteries (proximal and distal) to the body of the gland and one caudal artery to the terminal portion of the pancreas. We also observed a large communicating branch between the proximal portion of the middle colic artery and the ascending branch of the left colic artery, previously described as artery of Moskowitz. Based on these data, clinical and surgical implications of these variations were highlighted.