iPedia Free Information Center

Information about Inferior Mesenteric Artery

Artery:
Sigmoid colon and rectum, showing distribution of branches of inferior mesenteric artery and their anastomoses. (Inferior mesenteric artery labeled at center.)
Abdominal part of digestive tube and its attachment to the primitive or common mesentery. Human embryo of six weeks. (Inferior mesenteric artery labeled at bottom right.)
Latinarteria mesenterica inferior
subject #154 609
Sourceabdominal aorta
Branchesleft colic artery, sigmoid branches, superior rectal artery
Veininferior mesenteric vein
MeSH Mesenteric+Artery,+Inferior
Dorlands/Elsevier a_61/12155065
In human anatomy, the inferior mesenteric artery, often abbreviated as IMA, supplies the large intestine from the left colic (or splenic) flexure to the upper part of the rectum, which includes the descending colon, the sigmoid colon, and part of the rectum. Proximally, its territory of distribution overlaps (forms a watershed) with the middle colic artery, and therefore the superior mesenteric artery. The SMA and IMA anastomose via the marginal artery (artery of Drummond). The territory of distribution of the IMA is more or less equivalent to the embryonic hindgut.

Branching

The IMA branches off the anterior surface of the abdominal aorta below the renal artery branch points, and approximately midway between these and the aortic bifurcation (into the common iliac arteries).

The IMA has the following branches:

Branchnotes
left colic arterysupplies descending colon
sigmoid branchesthe most superior being described as 'the superior sigmoid artery'
superior rectal arteryeffectively the terminal branch of the IMA (the continuation of the IMA after all other branches)


All these arterial branches further divide into arcades which then supply the colon at regular intervals.

Associated veins

The IMA is accompanied along its course by a similarly named vein, the inferior mesenteric vein, which drains into the splenic vein.

The IMV therefore drains to the portal vein and does not fully mirror the course of the IMA.

Surgery and pathology

The IMA and/or its branches must be resected for a left hemicolectomy.

A horseshoe kidney, a rare (1 in 600) anomaly of the kidneys, will be positioned below the IMA.

Additional images


The abdominal aorta and its branches.

Abdominal portion of the sympathetic trunk, with the celiac plexus and hypogastric plexus.

Duodenojejunal fossa.

Posterior abdominal wall, after removal of the peritoneum, showing kidneys, suprarenal capsules, and great vessels.

Front of abdomen, showing surface markings for arteries and inguinal canal.


External links

The sigmoid colon (pelvic colon; sigmoid flexure) forms a loop which averages about 40 cm. in length, and normally lies within the pelvis, but on account of its freedom of movement it is liable to be displaced into the abdominal cavity.
..... Click the link for more information.
The rectum (from the Latin rectum intestinum, meaning straight intestine) is the final straight portion of the large intestine in some mammals, and the gut in others, terminating in the anus. The human rectum is about 12 cm long.
..... Click the link for more information.
Anastomosis (plural anastomoses) refers to a form of network in which streams both branch out and reconnect. The term is used in medicine, biology, and geology.

Medicine

Anastomosis is the surgical connection of two structures.
..... Click the link for more information.
Latin}}} 
Official status
Official language of: Vatican City
Used for official purposes, but not spoken in everyday speech
Regulated by: Opus Fundatum Latinitas
Roman Catholic Church
Language codes
ISO 639-1: la
ISO 639-2: lat
..... Click the link for more information.
The abdominal aorta is the largest artery in the abdominal cavity. As part of the aorta, it is a direct continuation of descending aorta (of the thorax).

Path

It begins at the level of the diaphragm, crossing it via the aortic hiatus at the vertebral level of T12.
..... Click the link for more information.
The left colic artery 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
..... Click the link for more information.
The sigmoid arteries, two or three in number, run obliquely downward and to the left behind the peritoneum and in front of the Psoas major, ureter, and internal spermatic vessels.
..... Click the link for more information.
The superior rectal artery (superior hemorrhoidal artery) is an artery that descends into the pelvis to supply blood to the rectum.

Structure

The superior rectal artery is the continuation of the inferior mesenteric artery.
..... Click the link for more information.
In human anatomy, the inferior mesenteric vein (IMV) is a blood vessel that drains blood from the large intestine. It usually terminates when reaching the splenic vein, which goes on to form the portal vein with the superior mesenteric vein (SMV).
..... Click the link for more information.
Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) is a huge controlled vocabulary (or metadata system) for the purpose of indexing journal articles and books in the life sciences. Created and updated by the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM), it is used by the MEDLINE/PubMed
..... Click the link for more information.
Elsevier, the world's largest publisher of medical and scientific literature, forms part of the Reed Elsevier group. Based in Amsterdam, the company has substantial operations in the UK, USA and elsewhere.
..... Click the link for more information.
Human anatomy is primarily the scientific study of the morphology of the adult human body.[1] It is subdivided into gross anatomy and microscopic anatomy.[1]
..... Click the link for more information.
The large intestine, an organ which is now more commonly referred to by its Greek name, the colon, is the last part of the digestive system: the final stage of the alimentary canal in vertebrate animals.
..... Click the link for more information.
Colic flexure can refer to:
  • Hepatic flexure ("right")
  • Splenic flexure ("left")

..... Click the link for more information.
The rectum (from the Latin rectum intestinum, meaning straight intestine) is the final straight portion of the large intestine in some mammals, and the gut in others, terminating in the anus. The human rectum is about 12 cm long.
..... Click the link for more information.
The descending colon of humans passes downward through the left hypochondrium and lumbar regions, along the lateral border of the left kidney.

At the lower end of the kidney it turns medialward toward the lateral border of the psoas muscle, and then descends, in the angle
..... Click the link for more information.
The sigmoid colon (pelvic colon; sigmoid flexure) forms a loop which averages about 40 cm. in length, and normally lies within the pelvis, but on account of its freedom of movement it is liable to be displaced into the abdominal cavity.
..... Click the link for more information.
The middle colic artery is a branch of the superior mesenteric artery that mostly supplies the transverse colon. It arises just below the pancreas, and, passing downward and forward between the layers of the transverse mesocolon, divides into two branches: right and left.
..... Click the link for more information.
Marginal artery can refer to:
  • Marginal artery of the colon, also known as the artery of Drummond
  • The "marginal branch of the right coronary artery" - a major branch of the right coronary artery (RCA) that rises in proximity to where the RCA passes around the

..... Click the link for more information.
The hindgut (or epigaster) is the posterior (caudal) part of the alimentary canal. It includes the distal third of the transverse colon and the splenic flexure, the descending colon, sigmoid colon, rectum and upper part of the anal canal.
..... Click the link for more information.
The abdominal aorta is the largest artery in the abdominal cavity. As part of the aorta, it is a direct continuation of descending aorta (of the thorax).

Path

It begins at the level of the diaphragm, crossing it via the aortic hiatus at the vertebral level of T12.
..... Click the link for more information.
The renal arteries normally arise off the side of the abdominal aorta, immediately below the superior mesenteric artery, and supply the kidneys with blood. Each is directed across the crus of the diaphragm, so as to form nearly a right angle with the aorta.
..... Click the link for more information.
Bifurcation refers to the main body of one item splitting into two parts.

Bifurcation may also refer to:
  • Bifurcation (law), the division of issues in a trial
  • Bifurcation (accounting),to divide into separate parts or accounts

..... Click the link for more information.
The common iliac arteries are two large arteries, about 4cm long in adults but more than a centimetre in diameter, that originate from the aortic bifurcation and terminate when bifurcating into the external iliac artery and internal iliac artery.
..... Click the link for more information.
The left colic artery 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
..... Click the link for more information.
The descending colon of humans passes downward through the left hypochondrium and lumbar regions, along the lateral border of the left kidney.

At the lower end of the kidney it turns medialward toward the lateral border of the psoas muscle, and then descends, in the angle
..... Click the link for more information.
The sigmoid arteries, two or three in number, run obliquely downward and to the left behind the peritoneum and in front of the Psoas major, ureter, and internal spermatic vessels.
..... Click the link for more information.
The superior rectal artery (superior hemorrhoidal artery) is an artery that descends into the pelvis to supply blood to the rectum.

Structure

The superior rectal artery is the continuation of the inferior mesenteric artery.
..... Click the link for more information.
Arterial arcades are loops of arteries around the jejunum and ileum.

Nearest the duodenum the mesenteric loops are primary, the vasa recta are long and regular in distribution, and the translucent spaces (lunettes) are extensive.
..... Click the link for more information.
colon is another name for the large intestine. The main function of the colon appears to be extraction of water from feces. In mammals, it consists of the ascending colon, transverse colon, the descending colon, and the sigmoid colon.
..... Click the link for more information.


This article is copied from an article on Wikipedia.org - the free encyclopedia created and edited by online user community. The text was not checked or edited by anyone on our staff. Although the vast majority of the wikipedia encyclopedia articles provide accurate and timely information please do not assume the accuracy of any particular article. This article is distributed under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License.
Herod_Archelaus


page counter