The arterial blood supply of the pancreas: a review. V. The dorsal pancreatic artery. An anatomic review and a radiologic study

The present article is the fifth part of a comprehensive review on the arte rial blood supply of the pancreas and deals with the dorsal pancreatic arte ry. The aim of this review is to summarise the anatomic studies, starting f rom Haller's reports, and to supply, as far as possible with original mater ial, angiographic evidence for the classic anatomic notions. For this purpo se, the overall research was carried out by studying 1015 selective angiogr aphies (celiac trunk and its branches, superior mesenteric artery) taken fr om the angiographic archives of the Institutes of Radiology of Siena, Pome (Catholic University), and Perugia. Angiographically, the authors could dem onstrate the dorsal pancreatic artery, present in most instances, as arisin g from the splenic artery, common hepatic artery, superior mesenteric arter y or celiac trunk and accessory right hepatic artery as coming from the sup erior mesenteric artery. Variations in the course and length of the dorsal pancreatic artery were demonstrated as well as some collateral branches. Th e authors underline the discordant opinions still existing regarding the in cidence of the different ways the dorsal pancreatic artery arises, and disc uss its uncertain embryologic development and surgical relevance.