Variations in the Origin of Inferior Phrenic Arteries and Their Relationship to Celiac Axis Variations on CT Angiography

OBJECTIVE: Knowing the origin of the inferior phrenic artery (IPA) is important prior to surgical interventions and interventional radiological procedures related to IPA. We aimed to identify variations in the origin of IPA and to investigate the relationship between the origin of IPA and celiac axis variations using computed tomography angiography (CTA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The CTA images of 1000 patients (737 male and 263 female, the mean age 60, range 18–94 years) were reviewed in an analysis of IPA and celiac axis variations. The origin of IPA was divided into two groups, those originating as a common trunk and those originating independently without a truncus. The relationship between the origin of IPA and celiac axis variation was analyzed using Pearson's chi-square test. RESULTS: Both IPAs originated from a common trunk in 295 (29.5%) patients. From which the majority of the common trunk originated from the aorta. Contrastingly, the inferior phrenic arteries originated from different origins in 705 (70.5%) patients. The majority of the right inferior phrenic artery (RIPA) and the left inferior phrenic artery (LIPA) originated independently from the celiac axis. Variation in the celiac axis were detected in 110 (11%) patients. The origin of IPA was found to be significantly different in the presence of celiac axis variation. CONCLUSION: The majority of IPA originated from the aorta in patients with a common IPA trunk, while the majority of RIPA and LIPA originating from the celiac axis in patients without a common IPA trunk. Thus, the origin of IPA may widely differ in the presence of celiac axis variation.