The celiac ganglia and trunk: an assessment of anatomical variants and their clinical relevance.

Abstract

The celiac ganglia are a network of nerve fibers that regulate various functions related to digestion, while the celiac trunk is a major artery that supplies oxygenated blood to the stomach, small intestine, and other organs in the upper abdominal region. Anatomical variants of these structures are common and can have significant implications for surgical and medical procedures. This prospective observational study was conducted over one year and included 300 patients (aged 45-75 years) with a history of peripheral arterial disease, evaluated at Dr. Carol Davila Central Military Emergency Hospital Bucharest, Romania, using a Philips Spectral CT 7500. The study identified three major anatomical variants of the celiac trunk, each associated with different positional distributions of the celiac ganglia. In cases where the celiac trunk presented as a hepatosplenic trunk with the left gastric artery originating from the abdominal aorta, the lateral position of the celiac ganglia was most prevalent. When the hepatosplenic trunk included the left gastric artery arising from the splenic artery, the postero-lateral position of the celiac ganglia was the most frequently observed. In patients with a hepatogastric trunk, where the splenic artery originated from the superior mesenteric artery, the lateral position of the celiac ganglia was again the most common. Statistical analysis reveals a t-statistic of 7.391 and 11.319 with a P value of 0.002. This article reviewed the anatomical variants of the celiac ganglia and their anatomical variants, highlighting their prevalence, clinical significance, and implications for surgical and interventional procedures.