Inferior mesenteric artery

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Artery: Inferior mesenteric artery
Sigmoid colon and rectum, showing distribution of branches of inferior mesenteric artery and their anastomoses. (Inferior mesenteric artery labeled at center.)
Abdominal part of digestive tube and its attachment to the primitive or common mesentery. Human embryo of six weeks. (Inferior mesenteric artery labeled at bottom right.)
Latin	arteria mesenterica inferior
Gray's	subject #154 609
Source	abdominal aorta
Branches	left colic artery, sigmoid branches, superior rectal artery
Vein	inferior mesenteric vein
MeSH	Mesenteric+Artery,+Inferior
Dorlands / Elsevier	a_61/12155065

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In human anatomy, the inferior mesenteric artery, often abbreviated as IMA, supplies the large intestine from the left colic (or splenic) flexure to the upper part of the rectum, which includes the descending colon, the sigmoid colon, and part of the rectum. Proximally, its territory of distribution overlaps (forms a watershed) with the middle colic artery, and therefore the superior mesenteric artery. The SMA and IMA anastomose via the marginal artery (artery of Drummond). The territory of distribution of the IMA is more or less equivalent to the embryonic hindgut.

Branching

The IMA branches off the anterior surface of the abdominal aorta below the renal artery branch points, and approximately midway between these and the aortic bifurcation (into the common iliac arteries).

The IMA has the following branches:

Branch	notes
left colic artery	supplies descending colon
sigmoid branches	the most superior being described as 'the superior sigmoid artery'
superior rectal artery	effectively the terminal branch of the IMA (the continuation of the IMA after all other branches)

All these arterial branches further divide into arcades which then supply the colon at regular intervals.

Associated veins

The IMA is accompanied along its course by a similarly named vein, the inferior mesenteric vein, which drains into the splenic vein.

The IMV therefore drains to the portal vein and does not fully mirror the course of the IMA.

Surgery and pathology

The IMA and/or its branches must be resected for a left hemicolectomy.

A horseshoe kidney, a rare (1 in 600) anomaly of the kidneys, will be positioned below the IMA.

Additional images

The abdominal aorta and its branches.	Abdominal portion of the sympathetic trunk, with the celiac plexus and hypogastric plexus.	Duodenojejunal fossa.	Posterior abdominal wall, after removal of the peritoneum, showing kidneys, suprarenal capsules, and great vessels.
Front of abdomen, showing surface markings for arteries and inguinal canal.

External links

• SUNY Figs 39:02-05 - "Branches of the inferior mesenteric artery."
• SUNY Labs 40:11-0103 - "Posterior Abdominal Wall: Branches of the Abdominal Aorta"
• SUNY Anatomy Image 7924
• SUNY Anatomy Image 7997
• SUNY Anatomy Image 8407
• SUNY Anatomy Image 8659
• Atlas of anatomy at UMich abdo_wall70 - "Posterior Abdominal Wall, Dissection, Anterior View"
• Norman/Georgetown sup&infmesentericart

v • d • e Arteries of torso - abdomen
AA: Anterior	celiac left gastric splenic: pancreatic branches (arteria pancreatica magna) – short gastric – left gastro-omental common hepatic: proper hepatic (cystic), right gastric, gastroduodenal (right gastro-omental, superior pancreaticoduodenal) SMA inferior pancreaticoduodenal – intestinal – ileocolic (appendicular) – right colic – middle colic IMA left colic – sigmoid – superior rectal – marginal
AA: Posterior	visceral: middle suprarenal – renal (inferior suprarenal) – testicular/ovarian parietal: inferior phrenic (superior suprarenal) – lumbar – median sacral terminal: common iliac (IIA, EIA)
IIA: Anterior	umbilical (superior vesical, to ductus deferens) – inferior vesical – middle rectal – uterine (azygos of the vagina) – vaginal – obturator (anterior branch, posterior branch) – internal pudendal (inferior rectal, perineal, artery of the urethral bulb, urethral, deep artery of the penis, dorsal artery of the penis) – inferior gluteal (accompanying of ischiadic nerve, crucial anastomosis)
IIA: Posterior	iliolumbar – lateral sacral – superior gluteal
EIA	inferior epigastric (cremasteric) – deep circumflex iliac

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Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content

Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .