Morphometric Analysis of the Inferior Mesenteric Artery Using Magnetic Resonance Angiography

The study aimed to examine the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) in detail by magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), to determine the locations, positions, and variations, sex and age related possible alterations of the IMA, to provide detailed information for surgeons and interventional radiologists, and to reduce the time spent in the catheter angiography. The vertebral levels of origin, sagittal origin angles (SOA), and the distances from the IMA to major abdominal aortic branches were retrospectively analyzed on sagittal MRA images of 185 patients. Measured parameters included the distances between the IMA and the celiac trunk (CeT), right renal artery (RRA), left renal artery (LRA), and aortic bifurcation (AB). Shapiro–Wilk test, independent samples t-test, Mann–Whitney U test, Spearman rank correlation coefficient and chi-square test were used to analyse both continuous and categorical variables. Comparative analysis by sex revealed that IMA-CeT, IMA-RRA, IMA-LRA and IMA-AB distances were significantly greater in males than females. A weak positive correlation was found between age and IMA-SOA in males (r:0.296, p = 0.002) and this correlation was similarly observed in the whole study cohort (r:0.219, p = 0.003). The identification of sex- and age-related differences in the positional anatomy of the IMA underscores the necessity of individualized vascular mapping prior to surgical or interventional procedures in the abdominal region. These anatomical insights will enhance precision in operative strategies and reduce procedural risks.