156 abdominal preparations were explored by arteriography, corrosion and dissection. Classification of the celiac trunk becomes easy if one considers the trunk to be composed of three main stems: the splenic, the hepatic and the left gastric artery, other vessels being less important collaterals. Usually, the celiac trunk bifurcates into the splenic and the hepatic artery; the left gastric artery is a mobile vessel whose origin may slide between the aorta, all over the celiac trunk up to a trifurcation. The direction of the celiac trunk is influenced by the topography of the pancreatic neck and by the origin of the hepatic artery: if the celiac trunk is not the origin of the hepatic artery it is not directed to the right but to the left. It is the hepatic artery that pulls the celiac trunk to the right. Variations in the origin of the splenic artery are exceptional. In contrast to adults, the diameter of the hepatic artery in young children is larger than that of the splenic artery.

156 abdominal preparations were explored by arteriography, corrosion and dissection. The stomach is vascularized by four well-anastomosed main arteries: the arteria gastrica dextra and sinistra and the arteria gastroepiploica dextra and sinistra. Other important vessels include: the arteria gastroduodenalis, the arteriae gastricae breves for the upper half of the greater curvature, a posterior gastric artery (36%) an accessory left gastric artery (12%) and an arteria supraduodenahs.The main vessels give rise to some very specific collaterals, e.g. the omental arteries that may form an omental arcade (44%), supra- and infra-pyloric branches, retroduodenal branches, rami cardiaci, esophagei and tuberales and an accessory left hepatic artery.The gastroduodenal artery always arises at a fixed point.

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156 abdominal preparations were explored by arteriography, corrosion and dissection. The arteria mesenterica inferior (AMI) ends by bifurcating into the two arteriae rectales superiores. The key to the interpretation of the AMI is the recognition of an arteria colosigmoidea that gives off one or more rami sigmoidei. In the presence of an arteria or ramus colic, sin. access, usually from the superior mesenteric artery, the left colic artery is absent, atrophic or displaced. The sigmoid branches (usually three) arise from the colosigmoid, the left colic or the distal portion of the AMI. Usually, the last sigmoid artery gives branch to the rectosigmoid colon. The rectosigmoid artery arises from the AMI between arteria sigmoidea ima and the terminal bifurcation of the former. It may be replaced by the descending branch of the a. sigmoidea ima. They irrigate an extensive part of the anterior wall of the bowel.

156 abdominal preparations were explored by arteriography, corrosion and dissection. Within the meanders of the splenic artery a basic pattern can be traced. The division of the artery can easily be summarized by introducing the term of a truncus lienogastroepiploicus. The short gastric arteries are always present, and usually they are longer and more important than may appear from their name. In nearly half of the preparations (52%) an artery for the extremitas lienalis posterior is found; an artery for the extremitas lienalis anterior is very exceptional. A posterior gastric artery can be identified (36%) but it must be distinguished from several other vessels. The arteria colli pancreatis (for the neck of the pancreas) is a constant vessel that may have a superior (usually arteria lienalis) or an inferior origin (arteria mesenterica superior). It commonly supplies the transverse pancreatic artery and often the prepancreatic arcade. The arteria corporis pancreatis, too, is a constant artery. The pancreatic tail is thoroughly irrigated by usually more than one arteria caudae pancreatis. An important part of the greater curvature is not accompanied by the left gastroepiploic artery, but is supplied by the arteriae gastricae breves.