Ileocolic artery
Arteria ileocolica
Definition
The ileocolic artery is the lowest branch of the superior mesenteric artery that supplies blood to the terminal ileum, cecum, appendix, and the initial part of the ascending colon.
The ileocolic artery passes downward and to the right behind the peritoneum toward the right iliac fossa, where it divides into a superior and an inferior branch: the inferior anastomoses with the end of the superior mesenteric artery, the superior with the right colic artery.
The ileocolic artery and its two main branches give several branches:
Anterior cecal artery: distributed to the front of the cecum
Posterior cecal artery: distributed to the back of the cecum
Appendicular artery: descends behind the termination of the ileum and enters the mesoappendix of the vermiform appendix; it runs near the free margin of this mesoappendix and ends in branches which supply the vermiform appendix.
Ileal branch of ileocolic artery: run upward and to the left on the lower part of the ileum, and anastomose with the termination of the superior mesenteric artery.
Colic branch of ileocolic artery: supplies blood to the proximal ascending colon.
References
This definition incorporates text from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy (20th U.S. edition of Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body, published in 1918 – from http://www.bartleby.com/107/).
Arterial Vascularization of the Right Colon With Implications for Surgery.Bruzzi M, M'harzi L, Poghosyan T, et al.Surgical and Radiologic Anatomy : SRA. 2020;42(4):429-435. doi:10.1007/s00276-019-02359-9.
Re-Evaluation of the Colic Irrigation From the Superior Mesenteric Artery.Vandamme JP, Van der Schuren G.Acta Anatomica. 1976;95(4):578-88. doi:10.1159/000144646.
Consideration of the Blood Supply of the Ileocecal Segment in Valve Preserving Right Hemicolectomy.Fernando ED, Deen KI.Clinical Anatomy (New York, N.Y.). 2009;22(6):712-5. doi:10.1002/ca.20838.
