Quick Facts
Origin: Inferior mesenteric artery.
Course: Ascends in the mesentery of the descending colon.
Branches: Ascending branch of the left colic artery and descending branch of the left colic artery.
Supplied Structures: Distal one third of the transverse colon and the descending colon.
Origin
The left colic artery originates from the inferior mesenteric artery.
Course
The left colic artery ascends in the mesentery of the descending colon and bifurcates into an ascending and a descending branch.
Branches
The ascending branch of the left colic artery forms anastomoses with the left branch of the middle colic artery in the transverse mesocolon.
The descending branch of the left colic artery travels inferiorly along the descending colon and anastomosis with a branch of the superior-most sigmoid artery.
Supplied Structures
The ascending branch supplies the distal one third of the transverse colon. The descending branch supplies the descending colon.
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Artery
When the artery is occluded blood is forced through the collateral vessels, drastically increasing fluid shear stress and triggering an inflammatory response which drives vessel remodeling.
