Title: The arterial distribution to the abdominal digestive organs in human fetuses.
Abstract: The arterial supply of the abdominal digestive organs and the developmental process were studied in 25 Japanese fetuses from 3 months to 9 months old into whose arteries latex rubber was injected.The results were as follows:1) The branching patterns of the celiac trunk were classified into 5 types. The most common type or the complete celiac trunk was found in 18 cases (72%) F. our variation types or incomplete celiac trunks were found in 7 cases (28%).2) The rates at which the following arteries were observed in the stomach were as follows: 100% for the left gastric artery, 100% for the left and right gastroepiploic artery, 100% for the short gastric artery, 100% for the gastroduodenal artery, 92% for the right gastric artery, 24% for the branch of the left inferior phrenic artery, and 16% for the posterior gastric artery arising from the splenic artery.The left gastric artery was better developed than the other arteries in 3-month-old fetuses.3) The rates at which the following arteries were observed in the liver were as follows: 100% for the proper hepatic artery, 28% for the accessory left hepatic artery and 8% for the accessory right hepatic arteries.The accessory left hepatic artery in 3-month-old fetuses was better developed than in older fetuses.4) The rates at which the following arteries were observed in the pancreas were follows: 100% for the branches of the splenic artery, 100% for the branches of the gastroduodenal artery and 100% for the branches of the superior mesenteric artery. Further, dorsal pancreatic arteries not arising from the splenic artery were found in 20% of cases. The dorsal and great pancreatic arteries branching from the splenic artery could not be distinguished from one another in younger fetuses.5) The rates at which the following arteries were observed in the duodenum were as follows: 100% for the branches of the superior and the inferior pancreaticoduodenal arteries. This arterial supply was the same in all the fetuses.6) The arterial supply of the jejunum and the ileum were as follows: the jejunum and the ileum were supplied only by the branches of the superior mesenteric artery. The minimum number of the branches was 7 and the maximum 12.7) The arterial supply of the large intestine was as follows: the caecum was supplied only by the ileocolic artery. The ascending colon supplied by the ileocolic and the right colic arteries was observed in 75% of cases and the ascending colon supplied by the ileocolic, the right colic and the middle colic was observed in 25% of cases. The transverse colon supplied only by the middle colic artery was observed in 63% of cases and the trasverse colon supplied by the middle colic and the left colic arteries was observed in 37% of cases. The descending colon supplied only by the left colic artery was found in 82% and the descending colon supplied by the left and the middle colic arteries in 18% of cases. The sigmoid colon was supplied by the sigmoid artery and the rectum by the superior rectal artery. In the branches of the inferior mesenteric artery the superior rectal artery were better developed in the younger fetuses.