Left gastroepiploic artery

Review of
proximal splenic artery embolization in blunt abdominal trauma. Schematic representation of collateral pathway of right gastroepiploic (thick curved black arrow) to left gastroepiploic artery (thin curved black arrow). The right gastroepiploic artery is a terminal branch of the gastrodoudenal artery (GDA; straight white arrow). It courses within the greater omentum along the greater curvature of the stomach. The left gastroepiploic artery may arise from the distal splenic or an inferior polar artery
CVIRendovasc.springeropen.com • CC-by-4.0
Review of
proximal splenic artery embolization in blunt abdominal trauma. 56 year old female, history of alcoholism, fall from standing height. Celiac artery angiogram after proximal splenic artery embolization with an AMPLATZERTM Plug (star a). This shows collateral perfusion to the spleen and distal splenic artery (straight black arrows b-d) via GDA (thin straight white arrow b, c) → right gastroepiploic (curved white arrow b-d) → left gastroepiploic pathway (curved black arrow b-d). Note that the parenchymal opacification of the spleen is markedly delayed compared to the liver, an expected finding after PSAE (d). Corkscrew intrahepatic arteries and the recannalized periumbilical vein with hepatopedal flow (thick white arrow b, c) are consistent with the patient’s known history of alcohol cirrhosis and portal hypertension
CVIRendovasc.springeropen.com • CC-by-4.0
Radiopaedia • CC-by-nc-sa 3.0 • de

The left gastroepiploic artery (LGA) is one of the branches of the splenic artery.

Gross Anatomy

Course

The LGA arises from the splenic artery, and runs within the gastrosplenic ligament. It then runs within the two layers of the greater omentum to the right along the greater curvature of the stomach, approximately 1 cm from the gastric wall before it anastomoses with the right gastroepiploic artery to form the Arc of Barkow.

Branches

The LGA gives off branches to the stomach, which comes off at right angles, in contrast to branches from vagal nerve trunks, which comes off obliquely.

Both left and right gastroepoploic arteries give off branches known as the epiploic branches that pass inferiorly between the two layers of the greater omentum. These branches pass over the transverse colon, but do not supply it.

Relations

Veins of the same name accompany the arteries.

Variant anatomy

Instead of anastomosing directly with the right gastroepiploic artery, the left and right gastroepiploic arteries may terminate by sinking directly into the gastric wall.

Variant origins of the LGA include :

  • splenic artery (72%)
  • inferior polar artery of the spleen (22%)
  • superior polar artery of the spleen (6%)