Origin of inferior phrenic arteries in the celiac trunk

Abstract

The knowledge of the arterial anatomic variations is very important for the clinical, radiological and surgical diagnosis. Regarding inferior phrenic arteries, which irrigate the diaphragm, it is known that they vary in relation to their origin. The purpose of the present study is to verify these variations. The abdominal cavity of eighty-nine adult cadavers of both sexes was dissected, of which 69 fixed in 10% formalin solution and 20 non-fixed. The fixed cadavers were dissected in Laboratories of Anatomy of the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP-EPM), the Santo Amaro University (UNISA) and Lusiadas de Santos University (UNILUS). The non-fixed cadavers were dissected from the Death Verification Service of the city of São Paulo (USP) and from the UNIFESP Brazil. After exposure of the celiac axis, we analyzed the possible emission of inferior phrenic arteries from this vessel as well as site of origin. The results showed us the presence of inferior phrenic arteries in 31 (34.83%) among the 89 cadavers. In the remained 58 (65.17%), the celiac trunkhad not these branches. It was observed that in 19 (21.35%) out of the 89 cadavers the inferior phrenic artery originating at the left contour of the celiac axis, in five (5.62%) cadavers, the phrenic artery presented its origin at the right contour and seven (7.86%) presented two phrenic arteries of which five were independently originated from each side of the celiac trunk and two (2.25%) from one axis. © 2006 Sociedad Chilena de Anatomía.