Contribution:
Dr Melanie Lau
Patient data: 67-year-old Female
Presentation: Incidental
Commentary: In this anatomical variant, the coeliac artery and SMA share a common origin from the
aorta, creating a single trunk that bifurcates to supply the regions commonly served by
these two arteries. This rare but significant variant is present in only about 1-2% of the
population.
While usually asymptomatic, this variant can be important in the context of vascular
surgeries, abdominal trauma, or planning interventions such as angiography because of
the altered vascular arrangement. It may also have implications in the event of vascular
disease, such as an aortic aneurysm or stenosis, affecting blood flow to both the foregut
and mid-gut simultaneously.
Diagnosis:
Coeliacomesenteric trunk
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