Aberrant Origin of Splenic Artery Detected by Computed Tomography Abdominal Angiogram: A Case Report

The splenic artery is one of the terminal arteries arising from the coeliac axis, supplying the spleen, pancreas and stomach. It courses along the superior border of the pancreas and travels into the splenorenal ligament and into the hilum of the spleen, accompanied by the splenic vein. The splenic vein joins with the superior mesenteric vein to form the portal vein. This is the most common anatomical pattern. Anatomical variations of the coeliac axis and splenic artery have been documented in the literature, but variations in the origin of the splenic artery are unusual and rare occurrences. This variation is important in the case of abdominal surgeries, like liver transplantation and pancreatic surgery. A 45-year-old male patient with cirrhosis of the liver underwent a Computed Tomography (CT) abdominal angiogram and Contrast-Enhanced Computed Tomography (CECT) abdomen as part of the assessment for liver conditions, portal hypertension, portosystemic collaterals and to rule out any hepatic neoplastic complications, like Hepatocellular carcinoma. In this patient, the splenic artery, instead of arising from the coeliac axis, was observed to originate from the superior mesenteric artery. Knowing this variation before surgery could prevent potentially lifethreatening complications like as intraoperative or postoperative intra-abdominal bleeding.