TY - JOUR A1 - , T1 - The inferior mesenteric artery arising as a persistence of the ventral longitudinal anastomosis: A rare anatomical variation JO - Eur. J. Anat. SN - 1136-4890 Y1 - 2018 VL - 22 SP - 415 EP - 418 UR - http://www.eurjanat.com/web/paper.php?id=180150ad KW - Mesenteric vasculature â?? Inferior mesenteric artery â?? Variations N2 - Routine dissection of an 82-year-old cadaver demonstrated the inferior mesenteric artery arising from two roots: one from the coeliac trunk, and the other from the superior mesenteric artery. There was no discrete connection between the inferior mesenteric artery and the aorta. This variant artery gave off its characteristic branches, including left colic and sigmoidal branches.This can be explained as an abnormal persistence of the ventral longitudinal anastomotic channel. Furthermore, an understanding of the breadth of variations of mesenteric vasculature is essential to surgeons and proceduralists of the gastro-intestinal tract, and may have implications in cancer, retroperitoneal and endovascular surgery. ER -