Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAnatomyFunctionClinical Significance

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Anatomy

Function

Clinical Significance

Theceliac trunkis a major artery that supplies blood to the stomach,spleen, liver,gallbladder, andpancreas. It is the first branch of theabdominalaorta, which brings blood from the heart to the lower part of the body.

The anatomy of the celiac trunk can vary from person to person. People are commonly born with anomalies or differences in the structure of the celiac trunk. Three main branches from the celiac trunk supply blood directly to the digestive organs.

In this article, you will learn the anatomy, function, and clinical significance of the celiac trunk.

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Healthcare providers working on a CT scan

Structure

The celiac trunk is a short artery that branches out of the largest artery of the body, theaorta. It is about 0.5–0.75 inches long and less than 0.5 inches in diameter.

The celiac trunk divides into the left gastric artery, the common hepatic artery, and thesplenic artery. These divisions supply blood to major organs of the digestive system.

Location

The celiac trunk is located right around the level of your bottom rib, orT12 vertebra. It branches out from the aorta just below themedian arcuate ligament, a band of tough elastic tissue that wraps around the aorta and attaches the diaphragm to the spine.

In some people, the median arcuate ligament can form at a lower spot and compress the celiac trunk. This condition is known asmedian arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS). MALS affects the gastrointestinal system and can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, and weight loss.

Anatomical Variations

The celiac artery normally branches out into a true tripod of the left gastric, common hepatic, and splenic arteries. However, anomalies or differences in this tripod of branches can occur during fetal development.

Some people will have additional branches, missing branches, or branches that form in another location.

These variations often do not cause symptoms and do not affect the function of the arteries. However, these variations are important for healthcare providers and surgeons to note so they can navigate the body safely as they perform surgery or conduct tests.

The celiac trunk supplies blood to several major organs of the digestive system, including the lower part of the esophagus, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, and spleen through its three major branches.

The three major branches of the celiac trunk do the following:

Several conditions can affect the celiac trunk.

Median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS): MALS occurs when the ligament that attaches the diaphragm to the spine compresses the celiac artery. It is a rare disorder that causes gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain and weight loss.

Celiac aneurysm:A celiac aneurysm is an extremely rare and serious occurrence that causes a ballooning weak spot in the artery that can rupture. Aneurysms that are caught early can be treated with surgical repair or embolization that stops the flow of blood to the weakened area. A rupture is a serious condition that can lead to death.

Celiac trunk dissection:A celiac trunk dissection, in which a tear in the artery occurs, is also extremely rare. People with a celiac trunk dissection may experience extreme abdominal pain without any gastric distress such as vomiting or diarrhea.

Treatment varies from person to person and can include blood pressure management and repair of the tear.

Summary

The celiac trunk is the first branch off of the abdominal aorta and is located at the bottom rib. It is responsible for supplying blood to major digestive organs—the pancreas, liver, gallbladder, and spleen. There are three main branches of the celiac artery, the left gastric, common hepatic, and splenic.

The celiac trunk is associated with several rare conditions—MALS, celiac aneurysm, celiac trunk dissection—and the more common, peptic ulcers.

7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Koshariya M, Khare V, Songra MC, Shukla S, Gupta A.Anomalous anatomical variations of coeliac trunk: a cadaveric study.Cureus. 2021;13(10):e19108. doi:10.7759/cureus.19108Vidya CS, Shivanakarappa C, Das SK, et al.Anatomical variations of celiac trunk and its branching pattern with special reference to surgical implications in Mysore based population. J Evolution Med Dent Sci 2021;10(37):3225-3230, DOI: 10.14260/jemds/2021/655Camacho N, Alves G, Bastos Gonçalves F, et al.Median arcuate ligament syndrome - literature review and case report.Rev Port Cir Cardiotorac Vasc. 2017;24(3-4):111.Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center.Median arcuate ligament syndrome.Xiao N, Mansukhani NA, Resnick SA, Eskandari MK.Giant celiac artery aneurysm.J Vasc Surg Cases Innov Tech. 2019;5(4):447-451. doi:10.1016/j.jvscit.2019.05.003Wang HT, Yu ZH, Tu C, Lu B.Interventional treatment of isolated dissection of the celiac artery: A case report and literature review.Medicine (Baltimore). 2018;97(24):e11026. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000011026Kuna L, Jakab J, Smolic R, Raguz-Lucic N, Vcev A, Smolic M.Peptic ulcer disease: a brief review of conventional therapy and herbal treatment options.J Clin Med. 2019;8(2):179. doi:10.3390/jcm8020179Additional ReadingAhluwalia N, Nassereddin A, Futterman B.Anatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis, Celiac Trunk. [Updated 2021 Sep 22]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-.

7 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Koshariya M, Khare V, Songra MC, Shukla S, Gupta A.Anomalous anatomical variations of coeliac trunk: a cadaveric study.Cureus. 2021;13(10):e19108. doi:10.7759/cureus.19108Vidya CS, Shivanakarappa C, Das SK, et al.Anatomical variations of celiac trunk and its branching pattern with special reference to surgical implications in Mysore based population. J Evolution Med Dent Sci 2021;10(37):3225-3230, DOI: 10.14260/jemds/2021/655Camacho N, Alves G, Bastos Gonçalves F, et al.Median arcuate ligament syndrome - literature review and case report.Rev Port Cir Cardiotorac Vasc. 2017;24(3-4):111.Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center.Median arcuate ligament syndrome.Xiao N, Mansukhani NA, Resnick SA, Eskandari MK.Giant celiac artery aneurysm.J Vasc Surg Cases Innov Tech. 2019;5(4):447-451. doi:10.1016/j.jvscit.2019.05.003Wang HT, Yu ZH, Tu C, Lu B.Interventional treatment of isolated dissection of the celiac artery: A case report and literature review.Medicine (Baltimore). 2018;97(24):e11026. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000011026Kuna L, Jakab J, Smolic R, Raguz-Lucic N, Vcev A, Smolic M.Peptic ulcer disease: a brief review of conventional therapy and herbal treatment options.J Clin Med. 2019;8(2):179. doi:10.3390/jcm8020179Additional ReadingAhluwalia N, Nassereddin A, Futterman B.Anatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis, Celiac Trunk. [Updated 2021 Sep 22]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Koshariya M, Khare V, Songra MC, Shukla S, Gupta A.Anomalous anatomical variations of coeliac trunk: a cadaveric study.Cureus. 2021;13(10):e19108. doi:10.7759/cureus.19108Vidya CS, Shivanakarappa C, Das SK, et al.Anatomical variations of celiac trunk and its branching pattern with special reference to surgical implications in Mysore based population. J Evolution Med Dent Sci 2021;10(37):3225-3230, DOI: 10.14260/jemds/2021/655Camacho N, Alves G, Bastos Gonçalves F, et al.Median arcuate ligament syndrome - literature review and case report.Rev Port Cir Cardiotorac Vasc. 2017;24(3-4):111.Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center.Median arcuate ligament syndrome.Xiao N, Mansukhani NA, Resnick SA, Eskandari MK.Giant celiac artery aneurysm.J Vasc Surg Cases Innov Tech. 2019;5(4):447-451. doi:10.1016/j.jvscit.2019.05.003Wang HT, Yu ZH, Tu C, Lu B.Interventional treatment of isolated dissection of the celiac artery: A case report and literature review.Medicine (Baltimore). 2018;97(24):e11026. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000011026Kuna L, Jakab J, Smolic R, Raguz-Lucic N, Vcev A, Smolic M.Peptic ulcer disease: a brief review of conventional therapy and herbal treatment options.J Clin Med. 2019;8(2):179. doi:10.3390/jcm8020179

Koshariya M, Khare V, Songra MC, Shukla S, Gupta A.Anomalous anatomical variations of coeliac trunk: a cadaveric study.Cureus. 2021;13(10):e19108. doi:10.7759/cureus.19108

Vidya CS, Shivanakarappa C, Das SK, et al.Anatomical variations of celiac trunk and its branching pattern with special reference to surgical implications in Mysore based population. J Evolution Med Dent Sci 2021;10(37):3225-3230, DOI: 10.14260/jemds/2021/655

Camacho N, Alves G, Bastos Gonçalves F, et al.Median arcuate ligament syndrome - literature review and case report.Rev Port Cir Cardiotorac Vasc. 2017;24(3-4):111.

Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center.Median arcuate ligament syndrome.

Xiao N, Mansukhani NA, Resnick SA, Eskandari MK.Giant celiac artery aneurysm.J Vasc Surg Cases Innov Tech. 2019;5(4):447-451. doi:10.1016/j.jvscit.2019.05.003

Wang HT, Yu ZH, Tu C, Lu B.Interventional treatment of isolated dissection of the celiac artery: A case report and literature review.Medicine (Baltimore). 2018;97(24):e11026. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000011026

Kuna L, Jakab J, Smolic R, Raguz-Lucic N, Vcev A, Smolic M.Peptic ulcer disease: a brief review of conventional therapy and herbal treatment options.J Clin Med. 2019;8(2):179. doi:10.3390/jcm8020179

Ahluwalia N, Nassereddin A, Futterman B.Anatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis, Celiac Trunk. [Updated 2021 Sep 22]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-.

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