Quick Facts
Origin: Splenic artery.
Course: Passes to the left within the parenchyma of the pancreas along the superior border.
Branches: None.
Supplied Structures: Tail of pancreas, hilum of spleen.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The origin of the artery to the tail of the pancreas is variable; however, it usually arises from the splenic artery, and sometimes from the greater pancreatic artery (Macchi et al., 2014).
Course
A variable number (1–5) of small branches travel posterior to and within the parenchyma, along the superior border of the pancreas. The vessels pass to the left, superior to and roughly paralleling the great pancreatic artery, into the tail of the pancreas and out to the hilum of the spleen. It may anastomose with the great pancreatic artery or the splenic artery and share vascular supply with the spleen (Macchi et al., 2014).
Branches
There are no named branches.
Supplied Structures
The artery to the tail of pancreas supplies the tail of pancreas, as well as the hilum of the spleen.
References
Macchi, V., Porzionato, A., Picardi, E. E., Stecco, C., Morra, A., Bardini, R. and De Caro, R. (2014) 'Clinical anatomy of the caudal pancreatic arteries and their relevance in the surgery of the splenic trauma', Ital J Anat Embryol, 119(2), pp. 141-7.
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Artery
Arteries are vessels transporting blood between heart, tissues, and other organs in order to supply them with nutrition and oxygen.
