Splenic artery

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A Moment in History

Georg Eduard Von Rindfleisch
(1836 – 1908)

German pathologist and histologist of Bavarian nobility ancestry. Rindfleisch studied medicine in Würzburg, Berlin, and Heidelberg, earning his MD in 1859 with the thesis “De Vasorum Genesi” (on the generation of vessels) under the tutelage of Rudolf Virchow (1821 - 1902). He then continued as a assistant to Virchow in a newly founded institute in Berlin. He then moved to Breslau in 1861 as an assistant to Rudolf Heidenhain (1834–1897), becoming a professor of pathological anatomy. In 1865 he became full professor in Bonn and in 1874 in Würzburg, where a new pathological institute was built according to his design (completed in 1878), where he worked until his retirement in 1906.

He was the first to describe the inflammatory background of multiple sclerosis in 1863, when he noted that demyelinated lesions have in their center small vessels that are surrounded by a leukocyte inflammatory infiltrate.

After extensive investigations, he suspected an infectious origin of tuberculosis - even before Robert Koch's detection of the tuberculosis bacillus in 1892. Rindfleisch 's special achievement is the description of the morphologically conspicuous macrophages in typhoid inflammation. His distinction between myocardial infarction and myocarditis in 1890 is also of lasting importance.

Associated eponyms

"Rindfleisch's folds": Usually a single semilunar fold of the serous surface of the pericardium around the origin of the aorta. Also known as the plica semilunaris aortæ.

"Rindfleisch's cells": Historical (and obsolete) name for eosinophilic leukocytes.

Personal note: G. Rindfleisch’s book “Traité D' Histologie Pathologique” 2nd edition (1873) is now part of my library. This book was translated from German to French by Dr. Frédéric Gross (1844-1927) , Associate Professor of the Medicine Faculty in Nancy, France. The book is dedicated to Dr. Theodore Billroth (1829-1894), an important surgeon whose pioneering work on subtotal gastrectomies paved the way for today’s robotic bariatric surgery. Dr. Miranda.

Sources:
1. "Stedmans Medical Eponyms" Forbis, P.; Bartolucci, SL; 1998 Williams and Wilkins
2. "Rindfleisch, Georg Eduard von (bayerischer Adel?)" Deutsche Biographie
3. "The pathology of multiple sclerosis and its evolution" Lassmann H. (1999) Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 354 (1390): 1635–40.
4. “Traité D' Histologie Pathologique” G.E.
Rindfleisch 2nd Ed (1873) Ballieres et Fils. Paris, Translated by F Gross

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Details: Written by: Efrain A. Miranda, Ph.D.; Published: December 12, 2013; Hits: 9042

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The [splenic artery], also known as the [lienal artery] is one of the branches of the celiac trunk, the first unpaired branch of the abdominal aorta. Through its branches the splenic artery provides arterial blood supply to the stomach, pancreas, and spleen.

From its origin at the celiac trunk, the splenic artery goes to the left and then curves posteriorly around the spinal column. It has a very tortuous shape. In 1571 Julius Arantius (1530 -1589) described it as "tortuous, in the manner of a snake". A study by Sylvester et al (1998) measured the uncoiled (straight) lenght of the splenic artery (5.8 - 11.3 cm) as well as the variation in coiling (tortuosity) of the artery.

The splenic artery has several branches:

Pancreatic arteries: Several small perforating branches. The largest of them, usually the first perforator is called either the "middle pancreatic artery", the "great pancreatic artery", or the "arteria pancratica magna"
Left gastroepiploic artery: The largest of the splenic artery branches, this artery forms part of the greater curvature vascular arcade and provides blood supply to the left side of the stomach and part of the greater omentum
Short gastric arteries: These are several short branches that course within the gastrosplenic ligament the connects the spleen to the greater curvature and fundus of the stomach. Take down of these branches is critical in certain procedures for esophageal hiatus hernia
Splenic branches: The terminal branches of the splenic artery supply the spleen. It usually divides into a superior and an inferior branch, each one giving up to four branches that enter through the hilum of the spleen

Although rare, the splenic artery can be the site for an aneurysm. It is the third most common abdominal aneurysm, after abdominal aorta and iliac artery aneurysms. They are being diagnosed more frequently now as incidental findings in cross-sectional imaging.

Sources:
1. "Tratado de Anatomia Humana" Testut et Latarjet 8 Ed. 1931 Salvat Editores, Spain
2. "Tortuosity of the Human Splenic Artery" Sylvester, PA, Stewart R, Ellis, H. Clin Anat (1996):8:214-218
3. "Splenic artery aneurysms"Trastek VF, et al. Surgery (1982) 91:694-699
9. "Splenic Artery Aneurysms and Pseudoaneurysms: Clinical Distinctions and CT Appearances" Agrawal, GA. Johnson, PT. Fishman EK. Am J Roentg (2007) 188: 4; 992-999

Splenic artery

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