Surg Radiol Anat (1988) 10:297-302 Surgical Racr log Anatomy Springer-Verlag 1988 Clinical anatomy of the suprarenal arteries : a quantitative approach by aortography R Toni l, S Mosca 4, L Favero4, S Ricci 2, R Roversi 2, G Toni 4 and P Vezzadini 3 1,4lstituto di Anatomia Umana Normale, 2 Radiologia, 3 Clinica Medica e Gastroenterologia,Universith di Chieti I and Bologna 2'3'4, Italy SUmmary. The angiographic visualization, arterial Origin and mean diameter per age group (20-40, 41-60 Years) of the suprarenal arterial vessels have been quantitatively investigated by aortography in 100 Patients without suprarenal disease. Visualization of the Various arteries was achieved in a percentage substan- tially comparable to the anatomic data of the literature, though with lower detection of the superior suprarenal Vessels. A variable site of origin was present particularly for the superior and middle suprarenal vessels compared to the inferior suprarenal arteries and possible embryolo- gical reasons and clinical implications are discussed. Statistically significant differences were found in the mean diameter of each arterial vessel in all the subjects examined, thus substantiating the concept of differential arterial supply to various portions of the gland. Age- related changes were demonstrated in the right middle SUprarenal artery, suggesting a predominant role of this Vessel in the physiological adaptation of the blood SUpply to the gland with increasing age. Anatomie clinique des art~res de la surr~nale : approche quantitative par aortographie R~sum~. Une 6tude angiographique quantitative de l'origine et du diam6tre moyen des art6res de la Surr6nale a 6t6 r6alis6e h partir de 100 aortographies effectu6es chez des sujets indemnes de 16sions surr6na- liennes, s6par6s en 2 tranches d'~ge : 20-40 et 41-60 ans. La mise en 6vidence des diff6rentes art~res a 6t6 Offprint requests : R Toni, lstituto Anatomia Umana Normaie, Via Irnerio 48, 1-40126 Bologna, Italy obtenue avec un pourcentage sensiblement comparable aux donn6es de la litt6rature anatomique classique, en tenant compte cependant d'une visualisation moyenne des a. surr6nales moyennes. Les variations d'origine concement tout particuli6rement les a. surr6nales sup6- rieures et moyennes, amenant ~ discuter les explications embryologiques et les implications cliniques de ces variations. Des diff6rences statistiquement significatives du diam~tre moyen de chaque art6re ont 6t6 not6es sur l'ensemble des sujets examin6s conf'trmant le concept de territoires vasculaires d'origine diverse; des variations li6es ~ l'fige ont 6t6 observ6es au niveau de l'a. surr6nale moyenne, sugg6rant le r61e principal que jouerait ce vaisseau dans les adaptations physiologiques de la vascularisation de la glande surr6nale au vieillissement. Key words : Adrenal gland -- Suprarenal arteries -- Angiography The classic anatomic studies of Levi [20], Luna [21], Gerard [13], Bleicher [5], Pick [24], Anson [3], Busch [7] and Gagnon I 11 ] have clearly demonstrated that the suprarenal arterial blood supply is provided by superior, middle and inferior suprarenal vessels; however, subs- tantial differences of opinion exist as to the morpho- functional meaning of this arterial supply to the gland. In fact, vascular models of the suprarenal arterial afferents with both 2 and 3 arterial sources have been postulated [ 14]. Based on this morphological evidence, angiographic descriptions of the suprarenal arterial pattern have been extensively reported [1, 9, 16, 17] pointing out that