Superior mesenteric artery–normal and variant vascular anatomy of its branches

Superior mesenteric artery, the second ventral branch of the abdominal aorta, supplies the distal duodenum, the small intestine, and the large intestine to the mid transverse colon. Superior mesenteric artery branches include the inferior anterior and inferior posterior pancreaticoduodenal arteries, middle colic artery, right colic artery, ileocolic artery, jejunal and ileal branches. The vascular anatomy of superior mesenteric branches is frequently variant. The explanation of variant vascular anatomy of branches and pathological consequences of diseases which impact the mesenteric vasculature might be due to the changes that appear in the development of ventral splanchnic arteries and their blood supply. Knowledge of mesenterical variations is valuable to radiologists and surgeons