Aberrant Left Colic Artery and Accessory Right Colic Artery: A Case Report and Surgical Implications

During a routine dissection of the abdominal region in our department of anatomy’s dissection laboratory, we found two variations of the vasculature of the gastrointestinal tract within the greater peritoneal and retroperitoneal compartments: an aberrant left colic artery (LCA) and an accessory right colic artery (RCA). The aberrant LCA originates from a common trunk (CT) that arises from the superior mesenteric artery instead of the inferior mesenteric artery. The CT continues for a short distance and terminates by dividing into a middle colic artery and an accessory RCA. The aberrant LCA and accessory RCA had abnormal courses; therefore, they are vulnerable to injury during surgical procedures of the region. Hence, a thorough knowledge of vascular variations is required to avoid potential complications.