Variations of inferior phrenic and coeliac arteries

The coeliac artery is ventral visceral branch of the abdominal aorta and it supplies supracolic organs. It divides into three branches namely the left gastric, the common hepatic & the splenic arteries. Vascular variations are constantly observed in dissection of adult cadavers. Though they are usually asymptomatic, prior knowledge about the anomalous branching pattern of the celiac trunk is essential to successfully accomplish surgical, oncological, interventional procedures. The present variation was observed during routine dissection of a female cadaver in department of Anatomy, Dr. Vaishampayan Memorial Government Medical College, Solapur. The branches of the celiac trunk ware traced carefully. Unilateral variation in branching pattern of the coeliac trunk (CT) in upper anterior wall of the abdominal aorta of a male cadaver was noted. This coeliac trunk had normal relations with the abdominal viscera. After giving rise to its normal branches that is left gastric (LG), common hepatic (CH), spenic (S) arteries, it also gave origin to left middle suprarenal (LMS) artery. Right and left inferior phrenic arteries were arising as common trunk with right middle suprarenal artery from anterior wall of aorta right to origin of coeliac trunk. Presence of such variation is worth considering in procedures such as intra arterial chemotherapy, radioembolisation, liver transplantation, pancreaticoduodenectomy.