The marginal artery of Drummond is a continuous arterial arcade running along the inner (mesenteric) border of the colon from the caecum to the rectosigmoid. It is formed by linked branches of the ileocolic, right colic, middle colic, left colic and sigmoid arteries. Short straight arteries (vasa recta) leave it to supply the wall of the colon.
| Origin | Anastomoses between the colic branches of the superior and inferior mesenteric arteries |
|---|---|
| Course | Runs in the mesentery close to the mesenteric border of the ascending, transverse, descending and sigmoid colon |
| Branches |
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The marginal artery joins the superior and inferior mesenteric territories, so the left colon can survive when the inferior mesenteric artery is tied in aortic aneurysm repair or colorectal surgery, provided the arcade is intact. It is weak or interrupted in some people at the splenic flexure (Griffiths point) and near the rectosigmoid (Sudeck point), which are the classic watershed sites of ischaemic colitis. Surgeons check its pulsation when planning the blood supply of a colonic anastomosis.
Reduced flow through the marginal artery at watershed areas, most often the splenic flexure, causes abdominal pain and bloody diarrhoea, typically in older people after a fall in blood pressure.
Division of the marginal artery or poor collateral flow leaves the end of the colon used for a join poorly perfused, increasing the risk of anastomotic leak.
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