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Body of stomach

The body of the stomach is the largest central region of the stomach, located between the fundus (above the cardiac notch) and the pyloric antrum. It lies predominantly in the epigastric and left hypochondriac regions, and forms the main reservoir for ingested food. Internally, it is lined with gastric mucosa containing gastric glands that secrete hydrochloric acid, intrinsic factor, and digestive enzymes. The body has a thick muscular wall consisting of three muscle layers (longitudinal, circular, and oblique), which contribute to mechanical digestion and peristaltic mixing of gastric contents.

Synonyms

  • Gastric body

  • Corpus ventriculi

  • Middle stomach

Function

  • Acts as a reservoir for ingested food

  • Secretes acid and pepsinogen for chemical digestion

  • Produces intrinsic factor essential for vitamin B12 absorption

  • Mixes and churns gastric contents via muscular contractions

  • Plays a role in controlled release of chyme into the duodenum

Arterial Supply

  • Right and left gastric arteries (along the lesser curvature)

  • Right and left gastroepiploic arteries (along the greater curvature)

  • Short gastric arteries (from the splenic artery) supply the superior portion

Venous Drainage

  • Parallel to arteries

  • Left and right gastric veins drain into the portal vein

  • Left gastroepiploic and short gastric veins drain into the splenic vein

  • Right gastroepiploic vein drains into the superior mesenteric vein

Nerve Supply

  • Parasympathetic innervation: via the vagus nerve (CN X), stimulating gastric secretions and motility

  • Sympathetic innervation: via the celiac plexus, inhibiting motility and constricting blood vessels

MRI Appearance

T1-weighted images:

  • Gastric lumen with fluid appears low signal; air shows signal void (black)

  • Gastric wall: intermediate signal

  • Mucosal folds (rugae) are visible with high-resolution imaging

T2-weighted images:

  • Fluid-filled lumen appears bright hyperintense

  • Gastric wall appears intermediate to slightly hypointense relative to fluid

  • Wall thickening or edema appears as hyperintense mucosal/submucosal signal

STIR (Short Tau Inversion Recovery):

  • Suppresses fat, highlighting wall edema, inflammation, or tumor infiltration

  • Normal wall: low to intermediate signal

  • Pathological wall thickening: bright hyperintense

T1 Post-Contrast (Gadolinium-enhanced):

  • Gastric wall shows homogeneous enhancement in normal mucosa

  • Tumors: heterogeneous, irregular enhancement

  • Inflammation: diffuse wall thickening with uniform enhancement

  • Ulcer crater: rim enhancement with central non-enhancing defect

CT Appearance

Non-contrast CT:

  • Stomach wall: soft tissue density

  • Lumen may contain air (black), fluid (intermediate), or food (mixed density)

  • Calcifications are rare, but may occur in old ulcers or tumors

Contrast-enhanced CT (CECT):

  • Normal gastric wall enhances uniformly, best in venous phase

  • Detects wall thickening, masses, ulcers, perforation, and varices

  • Multiplanar reconstructions provide excellent evaluation of gastric body relations to spleen, pancreas, and left lobe of liver

MRI images

Body of stomach anatomy MRI axial image -img-00000-00000

MRI images

Body of stomach anatomy MRI coronal image -img-00000-00000

CT image

Body of stomach anatomy CT axial image -img-00000-00000