Anomalous origin and vulnerable course of left colic artery in relation to the pancreas—A case report

We report here an anomalous origin and course of left colic artery in relation to pancreas during routine dissection of the abdominal region in a 70-year-old male cadaver in the department of anatomy. The anomalous left colic artery took its origin from the superior mesenteric artery and immediately divided into right and left branches. The right branch passed through the transverse mesocolon to supply the left one third of the transverse colon. The left branch traversed to the left along the inferior border of the body of the pancreas and crossed the left kidney before supplying the left colic flexure of colon and descending colon. This aberrant course of the left branch of the left colic artery can be considered as a “vulnerable” course as it is liable to injury during pancreatic and renal surgeries since the artery is not expected to run along the inferior border of the pancreas. The pancreas, a retroperitoneal organ, is related to major arteries such as abdominal aorta, inferior vena cava, coeliac trunk and its main branches, superior mesenteric vessels, splenic and portal veins. Surgery of the pancreas therefore, not only needs a thorough knowledge of the normal course of branches of these vessels but also demands a good knowledge of possible anomalous vessels arising in this region.