The superior suprarenal artery is an

artery An artery (plural arteries) () is a blood vessel in humans and most animals that takes blood away from the heart to one or more parts of the body (tissues, lungs, brain etc.). Most arteries carry oxygenated blood; the two exceptions are the pu ...

in the

abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the to ...

. It is a branch of the

inferior phrenic artery The inferior phrenic arteries are two small vessels which supply the diaphragm. They present much variety in their origin. Structure Origin The inferior phrenic arteries usually arise between T12 and L2 vertebrae. They may arise separately ...

, itself a branch of the

aorta The aorta ( ) is the main and largest artery in the human body, originating from the left ventricle of the heart and extending down to the abdomen, where it splits into two smaller arteries (the common iliac arteries). The aorta distributes o ...

. It supplies the

adrenal gland The adrenal glands (also known as suprarenal glands) are endocrine glands that produce a variety of hormones including adrenaline and the steroids aldosterone and cortisol. They are found above the kidneys. Each gland has an outer cortex whic ...

Structure

The superior suprarenal artery is a branch of the

. There may be multiple branches, each of which is fairly small. The inferior phrenic artery is itself is a branch of the

. The phrenic artery supplies the diaphragm.

Function

The superior suprarenal artery supplies the

. It may be more important during prenatal development.

Clinical significance

The superior suprarenal artery may be assessed using

Doppler ultrasound Doppler ultrasonography is medical ultrasonography that employs the Doppler effect to perform imaging of the movement of tissues and body fluids (usually blood), and their relative velocity to the probe. By calculating the frequency shift of a ...

History

The superior suprarenal artery may also be known as the superior adrenal artery.

References

External links