Pancreatic Artery, Anterior View

Description

Anterior upper abdominal anatomy is presented with the pancreas in the epigastrium and left hypochondrium, tucked posterior to the stomach and inferior to the left lobe of the liver. Arterial supply to the gland is traced as fine pancreatic arteries coursing along the superior and inferior borders toward the body and tail, with branches tracking from the splenic artery along the superior margin and from the pancreaticoduodenal arcades near the head adjacent to the duodenum. A periarterial plexus accompanies these vessels, and small arterioles penetrate the lobulated parenchyma in a segmental pattern. Surrounding context includes the anterior abdominal wall and costal margin superiorly, with renal silhouettes laterally in the retroperitoneum. This view matters because pancreatic arterial anatomy is variable and unforgiving in operative and interventional work, where an unrecognized dorsal pancreatic artery or prominent inferior pancreatic branch can be the difference between controlled hemostasis and diffuse bleeding. Ischemia of the pancreatic remnant and postoperative pancreatic fistula correlate with how the body and tail are devascularized during distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy, making the relationship of pancreatic branches to the splenic artery a practical map, not a textbook detail. Pseudoaneurysm formation along pancreaticoduodenal branches after pancreatitis also tracks these same pathways. Small vessels, big consequences. Use this illustration for teaching foregut vascular supply in gross anatomy and surgical anatomy courses, or for publication figures supporting pancreatic resection, splenic artery ligation, and endovascular management of pancreatitis-related hemorrhage. It also suits patient-facing or trainee materials that need a clean anterior orientation for the pancreas, splenic artery, and duodenal arterial arcades. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.