The right colic 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 ...

of 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 ...

, a branch of the

superior mesenteric artery In human anatomy, the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) is an artery which arises from the anterior surface of the abdominal aorta, just inferior to the origin of the celiac trunk, and supplies blood to the intestine from the lower part of the du ...

supplying the ascending colon. It divides into two terminal branches - an ascending branch and a descending branch - which form anastomoses with the middle colic artery, and

ileocolic artery The ileocolic artery is the lowest branch arising from the concavity of the superior mesenteric artery. It passes downward and to the right behind the peritoneum toward the right iliac fossa, where it divides into a superior and an inferior branch ...

(respectively). The right colic artery may be removed during a right hemicolectomy.

Structure

The right colic artery is a relatively small and variable artery. It affords arterial supply to the ascending colon.

Origin

The right colic artery is a branch of the

. It usually arises from a common trunk with the middle colic artery, but may also arise directly from the superior mesenteric artery, or from the

Course

It passes right-ward posterior to the

peritoneum The peritoneum is the serous membrane forming the lining of the abdominal cavity or coelom in amniotes and some invertebrates, such as annelids. It covers most of the intra-abdominal (or coelomic) organs, and is composed of a layer of meso ...

, and anterior to the right gonadal vessels, the right

ureter The ureters are tubes made of smooth muscle that propel urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. In a human adult, the ureters are usually long and around in diameter. The ureter is lined by urothelial cells, a type of transitional epit ...

, the

psoas major muscle The psoas major ( or ; from grc, ψόᾱ, psóā, muscles of the loins) is a long fusiform muscle located in the lateral lumbar region between the vertebral column and the brim of the lesser pelvis. It joins the iliacus muscle to form the il ...

, passing toward the middle of the ascending colon. Sometimes, it lies at a higher level, and crosses the descending part of the duodenum and the inferior extremity of the right

kidney The kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped organs found in vertebrates. They are located on the left and right in the retroperitoneal space, and in adult humans are about in length. They receive blood from the paired renal arteries; blo ...

. At the colon, it divides into a descending branch and an ascending branch. These branches form arches, from the convexity of which vessels are distributed to the ascending colon.

Branches and anastomoses

The descending branch anastomoses with the

. The ascending branch anastomoses with the middle colic artery.

Variation

The right colic artery is quite variable. It is absent in around 10% of individuals.

Clinical significance

In a right hemicolectomy to remove the

caecum The cecum or caecum is a pouch within the peritoneum that is considered to be the beginning of the large intestine. It is typically located on the right side of the body (the same side of the body as the appendix, to which it is joined). The wo ...

and the ascending colon, the right colic artery is ligated and removed. Ligation is performed close to the origin of the right colic artery from the superior mesenteric artery. If part of the

is missing due to a congenital abnormality, the right colic artery may supply part of the

ileum The ileum () is the final section of the small intestine in most higher vertebrates, including mammals, reptiles, and birds. In fish, the divisions of the small intestine are not as clear and the terms posterior intestine or distal intestine m ...

References

External links

* - "Branches of the superior mesenteric artery." * - "Intestines and Pancreas: Branches of Superior Mesenteric Artery" * * * {{Authority control Arteries of the abdomen