anatomy Anatomy () is the branch of morphology concerned with the study of the internal structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old scien ...

, the gastroduodenal artery is a small

blood vessel Blood vessels are the tubular structures of a circulatory system that transport blood throughout many Animal, animals’ bodies. Blood vessels transport blood cells, nutrients, and oxygen to most of the Tissue (biology), tissues of a Body (bi ...

in the

abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the gut, belly, tummy, midriff, tucky, or stomach) is the front part of the torso between the thorax (chest) and pelvis in humans and in other vertebrates. The area occupied by the abdomen is called the abdominal ...

. It supplies blood directly to the

pylorus The pylorus ( or ) connects the stomach to the duodenum. The pylorus is considered as having two parts, the ''pyloric antrum'' (opening to the body of the stomach) and the ''pyloric canal'' (opening to the duodenum). The ''pyloric canal'' ends a ...

(distal part of the

stomach The stomach is a muscular, hollow organ in the upper gastrointestinal tract of Human, humans and many other animals, including several invertebrates. The Ancient Greek name for the stomach is ''gaster'' which is used as ''gastric'' in medical t ...

) and proximal part of the

duodenum The duodenum is the first section of the small intestine in most vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, and birds. In mammals, it may be the principal site for iron absorption. The duodenum precedes the jejunum and ileum and is the shortest p ...

. It also indirectly supplies the pancreatic head (via the anterior and posterior

superior pancreaticoduodenal arteries The superior pancreaticoduodenal artery is an artery that supplies blood to the duodenum and pancreas. Structure It is a branch of the gastroduodenal artery, which most commonly arises from the common hepatic artery of the celiac trunk, althou ...

Structure

The gastroduodenal artery most commonly originates from the common hepatic artery, which is a branch of the celiac trunk. Occasionally, it may arise from the proper hepatic artery or from the right or left hepatic arteries, but these are less common anatomical variations. It first gives rise to the

supraduodenal artery The supraduodenal artery are 1-2 small arteries which usually arise from the gastroduodenal artery, and sometimes from the posterior superior pancreaticoduodenal arteries, or common hepatic artery The common hepatic artery is a short blood ves ...

, followed by the posterior superior pancreaticoduodenal artery. It terminates in a bifurcation when it splits into the

right gastroepiploic artery The right gastroepiploic artery (or right gastro-omental artery) is one of the two terminal branches of the gastroduodenal artery. It runs from right to left along the greater curvature of the stomach, between the layers of the greater omentum, an ...

and the anterior superior pancreaticoduodenal artery (

superior pancreaticoduodenal artery The superior pancreaticoduodenal artery is an artery that supplies blood to the duodenum and pancreas. Structure It is a branch of the gastroduodenal artery, which most commonly arises from the common hepatic artery of the celiac trunk, altho ...

). These branches form functional anastomoses with the anterior and posterior

inferior pancreaticoduodenal arteries The inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery (the IPDA) is a branch of the superior mesenteric artery. It supplies the head of the pancreas, and the ascending and inferior parts of the duodenum. Rarely, it may have an aneurysm. Structure The inferio ...

from the

superior mesenteric artery In human anatomy, the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) is an artery which arises from the anterior surface of the abdominal aorta, just inferior to the origin of the celiac trunk, and supplies blood to the intestine from the lower part of the ...

. Note that the exact branching of vessels from the gastroduodenal artery is variable. Typically, the posterior and anterior

branch independently in that order, but can rarely come off a common trunk.

Function

It supplies blood directly to the

(distal part of the

) and proximal part of the

. It also indirectly supplies the pancreatic head (via the anterior and posterior

Clinical significance

Peptic ulcer

The gastroduodenal artery can be the source of a significant

gastrointestinal bleed Gastrointestinal bleeding (GI bleed), also called gastrointestinal hemorrhage (GIB), is all forms of bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth to the rectum. When there is significant blood loss over a short time, symptoms may includ ...

, which may arise as a complication of

peptic ulcer disease Peptic ulcer disease is when the inner part of the stomach's gastric mucosa (lining of the stomach), the first part of the small intestine, or sometimes the lower esophagus, gets damaged. An ulcer in the stomach is called a gastric ulcer, while ...

. Because of its close relationship to the posteromedial wall of the second part of the duodenum, deeply penetrating ulcers or tumours of the duodenum may cause torrential bleeding from the gastroduodenal ‘artery of haemorrhage'. It occurs because the profuse arterial network in the region ensures a high flow rate in the vessel.gray 40th, page 1127

Additional images

File:Slide16fff.JPG, Gastroduodenal artery

References

External links

* * - "Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: Surgical Perspective" * - "Stomach, Spleen and Liver: Contents of the

Hepatoduodenal ligament The hepatoduodenal ligament is the portion of the lesser omentum extending between the porta hepatis of the liver and the superior part of the duodenum. Running inside it are the following structures collectively known as the portal triad: * he ...

" * * {{Authority control Arteries of the abdomen Stomach