Left colic artery

Left colic artery
	The inferior mesenteric artery and its branches. (Left colic visible at center right.)
	Sigmoid colon and rectum, showing distribution of branches of inferior mesenteric artery and their anastomoses. (Left colic visible at center left.)
Details
Source	inferior mesenteric
Vein	left colic vein
Supplies	descending colon
Identifiers
Latin	arteria colica sinistra
TA	A12.2.12.071
FMA	14826
	Anatomical terminology;

The left colic artery is a branch of the inferior mesenteric artery that runs to the left behind the peritoneum and in front of the psoas major muscle, and after a short, but variable, course divides into an ascending and a descending branch; the stem of the artery or its branches cross the left ureter and left internal spermatic vessels.

The ascending branch crosses in front of the left kidney and ends, between the two layers of the transverse mesocolon, by anastomosing with the middle colic artery; the descending branch anastomoses with the highest sigmoid artery.

From the arches formed by these anastomoses branches are distributed to the descending colon and the left part of the transverse colon.

Additional images

Superior and inferior duodenal fossæ.
Duodenojejunal fossa.

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 610 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

External links

Lotti M. Anatomy in relation to left colectomy
sup&infmesentericart at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University)
Anatomy photo:39:05-0105 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center - "Intestines and Pancreas: Branches of the Inferior Mesenteric Artery"
Anatomy image:8585 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center
Anatomy image:8658 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center

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