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Short gastric arteries

The short gastric arteries are a group of 4–7 small arterial branches that arise from the splenic artery near the splenic hilum. They course within the gastrosplenic ligament, passing forward to reach the fundus of the stomach. These arteries are relatively short and delicate, and they supply the superior portion of the greater curvature and gastric fundus.

The short gastric arteries anastomose with branches of the left gastric artery and the left gastroepiploic artery, contributing to the rich arterial arcade of the stomach. Although they are small, they play a vital role in maintaining perfusion of the gastric fundus, particularly after surgical ligation of other gastric vessels. Their injury or compromise may lead to ischemia or necrosis of the gastric fundus.

Synonyms

  • Arteriae gastricae breves

  • Fundic arteries

  • Short fundal arteries

Function

  • Supply oxygenated blood to the fundus of the stomach

  • Contribute to the vascular arcade along the greater curvature

  • Provide collateral circulation with the left gastric and left gastroepiploic arteries

  • Maintain perfusion of the gastric wall during surgical procedures such as splenectomy or gastrectomy

Branches

  • Usually 4–7 small arteries, arising from terminal branches of the splenic artery

  • Terminate in the gastric fundus and upper greater curvature

  • Form anastomoses with:

    • Left gastric artery (superiorly)

    • Left gastroepiploic artery (inferiorly)

MRI Appearance

T1-weighted images:

  • Small arteries appear as flow voids (black tubular structures) within the gastrosplenic ligament

  • Surrounded by hyperintense fat, aiding visualization

T2-weighted images:

  • Lumen also appears as flow voids

  • Adjacent pathology (edema, inflammation, tumor encasement) may show hyperintensity

STIR (Short Tau Inversion Recovery):

  • Fat suppression improves delineation of small vascular structures in the ligament

  • Pathologies such as perivascular edema, infiltration, or inflammatory changes appear hyperintense

T1 Post-Contrast (Gadolinium-enhanced):

  • Short gastric arteries enhance brightly and homogeneously

  • Contrast improves depiction of arterial caliber, course, and anastomoses

  • Useful for identifying vascular occlusion, aneurysm, or surgical planning

MRA (Magnetic Resonance Angiography):

  • Contrast-enhanced MRA provides high-resolution depiction of the origin from the splenic artery and their small branching pattern

  • Helpful in preoperative vascular mapping, particularly before splenectomy or gastric surgery

  • Detects anatomical variants, stenosis, or interruption in blood supply

CT Appearance

Non-contrast CT:

  • Short gastric arteries are rarely visualized without contrast, unless calcified

  • Appear as tiny soft tissue density structures near the splenic hilum

CT Angiography (CTA):

  • Best modality for visualizing origin, course, and anastomoses of short gastric arteries

  • Clearly demonstrates their pathway in the gastrosplenic ligament to the gastric fundus

  • Useful for identifying vascular compromise, aneurysm, pseudoaneurysm, or tumor invasion

  • 3D reconstructions improve visualization for surgical or interventional planning

MRI images

Short gastric arteries anantomy MRI coronal image -img-00000-00000

MRI images

Short gastric arteries anantomy MRI axial image -img-00000-00000

CT images

Short gastric arteries ct axial

CT images

Short gastric arteries ct coronal