Section: USMLE

7) A 54-year-old man with extensive, severe atherosclerosis sustains a thrombotic occlusion of the celiac trunk. The organs that receive their blood supply from this artery continue to function normally. Anastomoses between which of the following pairs of arteries would explain this phenomenon?

1. Left gastric artery and right gastric artery
2. Left gastroepiploic artery and right gastroepiploic artery
3. Proper hepatic artery and gastroduodenal artery
4. Right colic artery and middle colic artery
5. Superior pancreaticoduodenal artery and inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery

The superior pancreaticoduodenal artery is a branch of the gastroduodenal artery, which is a branch of the common hepatic artery, itself a branch of the celiac trunk. The inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery is a branch of the superior mesenteric artery. Occlusion of the celiac trunk would allow blood from the superior mesenteric artery to reach the branches of the celiac trunk via the connections between the superior and inferior pancreaticoduodenal arteries.

Both the left and right gastric arteries receive their blood from the celiac trunk. The left gastric artery is a direct branch of the celiac trunk. The right gastric artery is usually a branch of the proper hepatic artery, which is a branch of the common hepatic artery (a branch of the celiac trunk).

Both the left and right gastroepiploic arteries receive their blood supply from the celiac trunk. The left gastroepiploic artery is a branch of the splenic artery, which is a branch of the celiac trunk. The right gastroepiploic artery is a branch of the gastroduodenal artery, which is a branch of the common hepatic artery (a branch of the celiac trunk).

The proper hepatic and gastroduodenal arteries are branches of the common hepatic artery, which is a branch of the celiac trunk.

The right colic and middle colic arteries are both branches of the superior mesenteric artery.