Artery: Left colic artery
The inferior mesenteric artery and its branches. (Left colic visible at center right.)
Sigmoid colon and rectum, showing distribution of branches of inferior mesenteric artery and their anastomoses. (Left colic visible at center left.)
Latin	arteria colica sinistra
Gray's	subject #154 610
Supplies	descending colon
Source	inferior mesenteric
Vein	left colic vein

The left colic artery runs to the left behind the peritoneum and in front of the psoas major muscle, and after a short, but variable, course divides into an ascending and a descending branch; the stem of the artery or its branches cross the left ureter and left internal spermatic vessels.

The ascending branch crosses in front of the left kidney and ends, between the two layers of the transverse mesocolon, by anastomosing with the middle colic artery; the descending branch anastomoses with the highest sigmoid artery.

From the arches formed by these anastomoses branches are distributed to the descending colon and the left part of the transverse colon.

Additional images

Superior and inferior duodenal fossæ.

Duodenojejunal fossa.

External links

• Norman/Georgetown sup&infmesentericart
• SUNY Labs 39:05-0105 - "Intestines and Pancreas: Branches of the Inferior Mesenteric Artery"
• SUNY Anatomy Image 8585
• SUNY Anatomy Image 8658

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.

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