Tortuosity of the human splenic artery

Arantius (1571) was the first to describe tortuosity of the splenic artery. The present study investigated the variations in its tortuosity in man, and possible relationships with age, sex, and presence of atheroma. Twenty-nine cadaveric specimens and forty-four celiac angiograms were studied. The straight distance from the origin of the splenic artery, from the celiac trunk, to the point of commencement of the hilar branches was measured, as was the total length of the artery between these two points. The ratio of these two measurements is called the "index of tortuosity." The cadaveric arteries were then opened and graded for the presence of atheroma on a scale of 0 to 3. Marked variation in the index was found in both the cadavers and the angiograms. No definite relationship was found with sex. However, there was a suggestion of increasing tortuosity with age, although in one 10-year-old girl, marked tortuosity was demonstrated on angiography. No significant correlation was shown between increased tortuosity and the extent of atheroma. At present, there is apparently no satisfactory explanation for tortuosity of the splenic artery.