Superior mesenteric artery
In human anatomy, the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) is an artery which arises from the anterior surface of the abdominal aorta, just inferior to the origin of the celiac trunk, and supplies blood to the intestine from the lower part of the duodenum through two-thirds of the transverse colon, as well as the pancreas.
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| Superior mesenteric artery | |
|---|---|
 Frontal view of the superior mesenteric artery and its branches. The large vessel (blue) beside the SMA is the superior mesenteric vein. A considerable number of different branching patterns exist. | |
 3D-rendered computed tomography of abdominal aortic branches, showing exit of superior mesenteric artery between the kidneys. | |
| Details | |
| Precursor | vitelline arteries |
| Source | abdominal aorta |
| Branches | inferior pancreaticoduodenal middle colic right colic intestinal branches (jejunal, ileal) ileocolic |
| Vein | superior mesenteric vein |
| Supplies | intestine |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | arteria mesenterica superior |
| MeSH | D017538 |
| TA98 | A12.2.12.053 |
| TA2 | 4252 |
| FMA | 14749 |
| Anatomical terminology | |