Arterial irrigation of the cat spleen. (Felis catus, Linnaeus, 1758). Experimental anatomical and physiological studies

Abstract

From what we could find in the literature, there are few papers dealing with splenic arterial vascularization in the cat (Felis catus). Not withstanding, it is important for better knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the spleen and for its implication in the surgery of this organ. According to the method we employed in this research, we identified that arterial branches starting from the lineal artery appointed to three distinguished regions, that is, dorsal, medial and ventral. These three regions are divided by few or not vascular areas. It was possible too to detect the number of penetrating arteries in everyone of these regions, as well as their arrangement in the splenic hilum. Experimentally typing up of the lienal artery or its branches or even as its collateral branches indicated that there was no any discernable damage for the spleen due to several anastomoses. These anastomoses included those between the left and right gastroepiploic arteries, those between the short gastric arteries and collaterals of the left gastric artery, between contributions coming from the branches going to the three regions abovementioned and between collaterals of the lienal artery sypplying the greater omentum and the dorsal pancreas. Otherwise, we have seen that the tying up of the penetrating branches of the lienal artery near the splenic hilum always causes a schemic infarct of the corresponding territory of the vessels tied up, followed by necrosis of the tissues.