Arterial blood supply to the upper pole of the spleen when the main artery is occluded

Abstract

Vascular dissections of the splenic-, gastric- and pancreatic region, corrosion specimens of the upper splenic pole and arteriographies of the superior polar artery after trunc lienal artery occlusion in human served as an answer to the question of the arterial supply of the upper lienal pole. The present results point out the importance of the upper polar artery and the existence of intersegmental anastomosis. The latter gain importance in case of trunc splenic artery occlusion. The short gastric vessels are of subordinate value.