Overall, the arterial blood supply of the pancreas is shared with the duodenum. Therefore, it is provided by the vessels that originate from the celiac trunk and the superior mesenteric artery.

The main arterial blood supply to the head and the uncinate process of the pancreas is ensured by two anterior and two posterior pancreaticoduodenal arteries. They run on the posterior and anterior aspects of the head. The superior and inferior pancreaticoduodenal arteries of each side join to form anastomoses.

Anterior superior pancreaticoduodenal and posterior superior pancreaticoduodenal arteries arise from the gastroduodenal artery. The gastroduodenal artery it is a branch of the common hepatic artery that arises from the celiac trunk.
Anterior inferior pancreaticoduodenal and posterior inferior pancreaticoduodenal arteries are branches of the superior mesenteric artery.

Besides the pancreaticoduodenal arteries, the pancreas also receives arterial blood supply from the splenic artery. It arises from the celiac trunk and runs along the superior border of the pancreas toward the hilum of the spleen.

The splenic artery gives several small pancreatic branches that supply the body and the tail of the pancreas. The most prominent pancreatic branches of the splenic artery include the great (greater) pancreatic artery, dorsal pancreatic artery, inferior pancreatic artery, and the artery of tail of pancreas. All these branches form numerous anastomoses, making rich anastomotic loops of different sizes and shapes.

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Arterial blood supply