Splenic artery

In anatomy, the splenic artery (in the past called the lienal artery) is the blood vessel that supplies oxygenated blood to the spleen. It branches from the celiac artery, and follows a course superior to the pancreas.

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Branches

The splenic artery gives off branches to the stomach and pancreas before reaching the spleen.

Note that the branches of the splenic artery do not reach all the way to the lower part of the greater curvature of the stomach. Instead, that region is supplied by the right gastroepiploic artery, a branch of the gastroduodenal artery. The two gastroepiploic arteries anastomose with each other at that point.

Vein

Along its course, it is accompanied by a similarly named vein, the splenic vein, which drains into the portal vein.

Pathology

Splenic artery aneurysms are rare^[1], but still the third most common abdominal aneurysm^[2] (after aneurysms of the abdominal aorta and iliac arteries).

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References

1. ^ Abbas MA, Stone WM, Fowl RJ, Gloviczki P, Oldenburg WA, Pairolero PC, Hallett JW, Bower TC, Panneton JM, Cherry KJ Splenic artery aneurysms: two decades experience at Mayo clinic. Ann Vasc Surg. 2002 Jul;16(4):442-9. PMID 12089631
2. ^ Jamsheer NS, Malik M, Ruptured splenic artery aneurysm, URL: http://www.kfshrc.edu.sa/annals/215_216/01-094.htm, Accessed July 30, 2005.