Ileocolic artery

Artery: Ileocolic artery
Arteries of cecum and vermiform process. (Terminal part of Ileocolic labeled at upper right.)
The superior mesenteric artery and its branches. (Ileocolic artery not labeled, but visible at bottom left.)
Latin	arteria ileocolica
Gray's	subject #154 607
Source	superior mesenteric artery
Branches	appendicular artery anterior cecal artery posterior cecal artery
Vein	ileocolic vein

The ileocolic artery is the lowest branch arising from the concavity of the superior mesenteric artery.

It 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. Supplies the cecum, ileum, and appendix.

Branches

The inferior branch of the ileocolic runs toward the upper border of the ileocolic junction and supplies the following branches:

• colic branch of ileocolic artery, which passes upward on the ascending colon
• ileocecal (some sources acknowledge this division while others do not)
  • anterior cecal artery and posterior cecal artery, which are distributed to the front and back of the cecum
  • ileal branch of ileocolic artery, which runs upward and to the left on the lower part of the ileum and anastomoses with the termination of the superior mesenteric artery
  • an appendicular artery

Additional images

• 

  Superior ileocecal fossa.

• 

  Colonic blood supply

External links

• SUNY Labs 39:03-0109 - "Intestines and Pancreas: Branches of Superior Mesenteric Artery"
• SUNY Anatomy Image 8581
• SUNY Anatomy Image 8629

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.