Topographical variants and structural particularities of splenic artery

Abstract

Introduction. The splenic vessels, particularly the arteries are important during scheduled and urgent surgical procedures on immunocompetent organs. The problem has grown strongly since the introduction of organ sparing procedures during surgical treatments of diseases and traumas. The exact knowledge of splenic artery topography and its branching patterns is essencial in modern surgery.

Materials and methods. The study was performed on spleens of deceased patients whose cause of death didn’t affect the organ and its vascular supply. The topography and branching patterns of splenic artery was studied during anatomical dissection of 18 spleens.

Discussion results. The topography of the splenic arteries was studied on different organ complexes. The artery had a sinous course in 11 cases (60,5%) and straight in 7 cases (39,5%). One polar artery in the hilum region was encountered in 6 cases. Two polar arteries were encountered in one case. The splenic artery branched in twoarteries in 6 cases 33,2%), in three arteries in 6 case (33,2%), in 4 arteries in 2 cases (11,3%) and in 5 arteries in 1 case (5,6%). In 3 cases the artery entered the hilum without branching (16,7%).

Conclusion.We demonstrated that splenic artery most often has a sinous course – 60,5% of cases and in 39,5% of cases has a straight course. In the majority of cases the artery branches in the hilum region in 2 and 3 arteries (33,2%, respectively).