Left Gastric Artery

The structure indicated is the left gastric artery.

The left gastric artery is one of three branches of the celiac trunk. The celiac trunk is the first anterior branch that arises from the abdominal aorta. The abdominal aorta consists of anterior, posterior, and lateral branches. There are three anterior branches which supply the foregut, midgut and hindgut structures these are as follows:

1. Celiac trunk – supplies foregut
2. Superior mesenteric artery – supplies midgut
3. Inferior mesenteric artery – supplies hindgut

The celiac trunk arises from the abdominal aorta at the level of the upper part of the first lumbar vertebra. It gives rises to three branches:

1. Common hepatic artery
2. Left gastric artery
3. Splenic artery

The left gastric artery is the smallest branch of the celiac trunk (the splenic artery is the largest. The left gastric artery first ascends upwards, giving off oesophageal branches which supply the lower oesophagus – branches from the thoracic aorta may descend to anastomse with these branches. The Left gastric artery then curves along the superior border of the lesser curvature of the stomach to anastomose with the right gastric artery. The right gastric artery arises most commonly from the proper hepatic artery, which is a branch of the common hepatic artery (the right gastric artery may also arise more proximally, from the common hepatic artery itself).

Learn more about the anatomy of the celiac trunk in this tutorial