Definition and characterization of the descending branch of the left colic artery

The descending branch of the left colic artery (dLCA) is under-recognized and has not been clearly defined. The dLCA is often confused with the sigmoid artery (SA) originating from the left colic artery (LCA). We clarified the anatomical characteristics of the dLCA and searched for surrogate measures to identify it.

Arterial phase, venous phase, and three-dimensional images of abdominal arteries were created in 411 patients using contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT). We analyzed the branching patterns of the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) based on CT. The dLCA was defined as the artery originating from the LCA that flows into the marginal artery along the descending colon. We tested three candidate diagnostic measures for the dLCA using positional relationships and the segment length of vessels.

Arteries from the LCA were present in 360 patients, among which 459 dLCAs and 165 SAs were identified in 333 and 146, respectively. By the first measure of identifying the artery with its root lateral to the inferior mesenteric vein (IMV) as the dLCA, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy rate were 94%, 87%, and 92%, respectively. The second measure of identifying the artery with its root higher than the root of the IMA as the dLCA and the third of identifying the artery with its root located > 27.6 mm from the root of LCA as the dLCA yielded lower accuracy rates (69% and 89%, respectively).

Our study demonstrated that dLCAs are prevalent (93%) and may be easily found lateral to the IMV in clinical practice.