RESUMO
PURPOSE: The celiac trunk (CT) is a vascular structure of the upper abdomen which gives off the left gastric artery (LGA), the splenic artery and the common hepatic artery. This study aims to compare the vascular patterns of the CT of two different samples (cadaveric and radiological) and to propose a simple classification of CT variations based on previous studies and our results. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To perform this study we examined 43 adult cadavers, 24 males and 19 females, ages ranged from 69 to 92. In addition, we analysed 596 MDCT (multidetector computed tomographic) angiography examinations of 430 males and 166 females, ages ranged from 42 to 82. RESULTS: According to the classification proposed, results were divided into Type I or complete CT (578/639 cases, 90.5 %), Type II or incomplete CT (61/639 cases, 9.5 %), Type III or absence of CT and Type IV or celiacomesenteric trunk with no cases reported. Type I was divided into Type Ia or bifurcated trunk with LGA arising first (368/639 cases, 57.6 %), Type Ib or trifurcated trunk (205/639 cases, 32.1 %) and Type Ic or tetrafurcated trunk with an extra branch (5/639 cases, 0.8 %). Type II included hepatosplenic (29/639 cases, 4.5 %), gastroplenic (32/639, 5 %) and hepatogastric trunks (0/639, 0 %) which represented Types IIa, IIb and IIc respectively. CONCLUSIONS: No significant differences were found between the cadaveric and radiological samples. Gender did not appear to be related to any variability of the structures either. A new, simple and complete classification of the anatomical variations of the CT is proposed.