posterior cecal artery

The posterior cecal artery is an artery that branches from the ileocolic artery and supplies the posterior portion of the cecum.

It is located in the right iliac fossa, arising from the ileocolic artery and coursing posteriorly to reach and supply the back surface of the cecum.

Its function is to supply oxygenated blood specifically to the posterior surface of the cecum, the initial pouch-like segment of the large intestine.

Cecal ischemia or inflammation may be associated with compromise of the posterior cecal artery, and its anatomical relationship to the appendix is also relevant in appendiceal arterial supply patterns.

This vessel may be visualized on CT angiography or during selective ileocolic angiography, particularly when evaluating right colonic vascular anatomy or cecal ischemia.