Anatomy of subpancreatic transverse colon vessel and its clinical significance: an observational study

Purpose: To observe and statistic the probability of presence and the anatomy of the vessel arising via the inferior margin of the pancreas and traveling within the transverse mesocolon, and analyze its clinical significance. Methods Patients who underwent surgery for transverse colon cancer or descending colon cancer from January 2020 to November 2021 and a non-specific cadaver were included in this study. We observed and recorded intraoperatively for the probability of presence and the anatomy of the vessel arising via the inferior margin of the pancreas and traveling within the transverse mesocolon. And its property was determined by tissue slice. Results A total of 84 patients were included, of whom 72 (85.7%) patients could observe intraoperatively the vessel which was confirmed by tissue slice. The vessel was also observed in a nonspecific cadaver. Originating from transverse pancreatic artery, often one, sometimes two, rarely three vessels arising via the inferior margin of pancreas, supplied the left transverse colon. Artery and vein parallel ran, and it was difficult to separate them due to their small diameter, but the vessel may thicken under certain conditions, increasing blood supply. Conclusion The vessel, which is not yet reported and named in the literature, can be called the subpancreatic transverse colon vessel, which has a high probability of presence in humans and may be of great significance to human physiological anatomy, surgery, and oncology, and deserves recognition and attention from surgeons.