gastricae

Gastricae is a Latin term used in anatomical nomenclature to denote structures related to the stomach. In practice, the word appears in plural form in the names of gastric vessels and related structures, including gastric arteries and veins, nerves, and sometimes other elements associated with the stomach. The term is used in contemporary anatomy and surgical texts to refer to the network servicing the stomach.

Gastric arteries (arteriae gastricae) include two principal arteries: the left gastric artery, typically arising from the celiac trunk and coursing along the lesser curvature toward the cardia; and the right gastric artery, often a branch of the proper hepatic artery, also following the lesser curvature. In addition, short gastric arteries (arteriae gastricae breves) arise from the splenic artery and supply the fundus and upper stomach. The arterial network forms anastomoses along the curvatures to provide collateral circulation.

Gastric veins (venae gastricae) mirror the arterial distribution, with left and right gastric veins draining toward the portal venous system, commonly via the left gastric vein into the portal vein. Short gastric veins drain into the splenic vein. Lymphatic drainage follows gastric and celiac nodes, a pattern of relevance for staging gastric pathology.

Nerve supply is provided primarily by parasympathetic fibers from the vagus nerves, forming anterior and posterior trunks that innervate the stomach, with sympathetic input from the celiac plexus. The term gastricae thus encompasses the ensemble of gastric vessels, nerves, and related structures recognized in anatomical and clinical contexts.