Left gastric artery
Branch
Smallest coeliac branch. Ascends to the cardia, sends oesophageal branches up through the hiatus, then runs down the lesser curvature between the layers of the lesser omentum to anastomose with the right gastric artery.
Traced from the start
- Abdominal aorta
- Coeliac trunk
- Left gastric artery
Detail
- Supplies
- Abdominal oesophagus, cardia, lesser curvature
- Anastomosis
- Right gastric artery (from common/proper hepatic) along the lesser curve
- Variant
- Gives a replaced or accessory left hepatic artery in up to ~20%, running in the lesser omentum
When it goes wrong
Chronic gastric ulcer on the lesser curvature erodes the artery
Brisk haematemesis and melaena — the lesser-curve ulcer is the classic left gastric bleed, as the posterior duodenal ulcer is the gastroduodenal bleed
Replaced left hepatic artery in the lesser omentum divided during gastrectomy or fundoplication
Ischaemia of the left lobe of the liver with a transaminase rise
Practise this structure
1 question in the bank tagged Arterial Supply.