OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacy and clinical significance of 64-multislice spiral computed tomography angiography(MSCTA) with image fusion for the anatomy of perigastric arteries.

METHODSA total of 53 patients underwent abdominal 64-MSCTA, among whom 26 patients with gastric cancer underwent gastrectomy. Using volume rendering techniques, computed tomography angiography(CTA) of perigastric arteries and the stomach were reconstructed respectively, and then the images were fused together. The branching pattern of the celiac trunk and the origins and courses along the stomach of the 10 perigastric arteries were assessed. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 64-MSCTA were determined based on intraoperative findings.

RESULTSCTA clearly showed the celiac trunk. The most common branching pattern of the celiac trunk was Michels type I( in 46 patients(86.8%). The anatomy of perigastric arteries and stomach could be clearly demonstrated from any angle according to image fusion. The left gastric artery and the right gastroepiploic artery were shown in 100%, the left gastroepiploic artery 94.3%(50/53), the right gastric artery 83.0%(44/53), short gastric artery 58.5%(31/53), posterior gastric artery 49.1%(26/53), the replaced left hepatic artery 15.1%(8/53). The accessory left hepatic artery, accessory left gastric artery and replaced right hepatic artery were all identified in 7.5%(4/53) patients. The accuracy of preoperative CTA in term of correctly identifying perigastric arteries ranged from 84.6% to 100%, the sensitivity 82.6% to 100%, and the specificity was 100% for all the perigastric arteries.

CONCLUSIONS64-MSCTA can clearly reveal individual perigastric arteries. The anatomy of the stomach and perigastric arteries can be shown in vivo by fused image, and can provide guidance for gastrectomy.