44. Outline the arterial and venous blood supply of the oesophagus and stomach and their lymphatic drainage

Question 1

What is the oesophageal blood supply from the thoracic region?

Answer 1

Branches of the thoracic aorta and inferior thyroid arteries

Question 2

What is the venous drainage of the oesophagus from the thoracic region?

Answer 2

Branches of the azygos veins and inferior thyroid vein

Question 3

What is the arterial supply of the oesophagus from the abdominal region?

Answer 3

Left gastric artery (branch of the coeliac trunk)

Left inferior phrenic artery

Question 4

What is the venous drainage of the oesophagus from the abdominal region?

Answer 4

2 routes:
to the portal circulation via left gastric vein
to the systemic circulation via the azygos vein
These two routes form a porto-systemic anastomosis - a connection between the portal and systemic drainage systems

Question 5

What is the lymphatic drainage of the oesophagus (superior third)

Answer 5

Deep cervical lymph nodes

Question 6

What is the lymphatic drainage of the oesophagus (middle third)

Answer 6

Superior and posterior mediastinal nodes

Question 7

What is the lymphatic drainage of the oesophagus (lower third)

Answer 7

Left gastric and coeliac nodes

Question 8

What is the blood supply to the stomach and from what main artery are these branches of?

Answer 8

Branches of coeliac trunk
Right and left gastroepiploic arteries (greater curvature)
Right and left gastric arteries (lesser curvature)
Short gastric arteries

Question 9

Where do the right and left gastric veins drain into?

Answer 9

Hepatic portal vein

Question 10

Where do the right and left gastroepiploic veins drain into?

Answer 10

Superior mesenteric vein

Question 11

What is the lymphatic drainage of the stomach?

Answer 11

Gastric and gastroepiploic nodes found at the curvatures

These drain to the coeliac lymph nodes found on the posterior abdominal wall