Middle mesenteric artery: Angiographic and three-dimensional computed tomography findings

The middle mesenteric artery, also known as the third mesenteric artery, is a very rare anomaly. Several anatomical variations of middle mesenteric artery have been reported; in these reports, the right colic artery and/or middle colic artery often originate directly from the aorta. Here, we report a middle mesenteric artery in which the middle colic artery originated directly from the abdominal aorta. We also provide three-dimensional computed tomography and angiography findings and discuss anatomical and embryological considerations.