Repeated USMLE Questions Step 1- 208

A 48-year-old woman is taken for autopsy after she is pronounced dead. Her family found her unresponsive and the ER team performed CPR but she didn’t respond. The autopsy reveals the cause of death as internal hemorrhage from an artery close to the posterior wall of the body of the stomach due to erosion of a gastric ulcer.

Which of these arteries is most likely involved in this case?

A- Celiac trunk

B- Left gastric artery

C- Right gastric artery

D- Splenic artery

E- Superior mesenteric artery

Answer: 






Celiac trunk, left gastric and right gastric artery are located close to the anterior wall of the body of the stomach while the superior mesenteric artery is located close to the duodenum. Splenic artery runs close to the posterior wall of the body of the stomach. It arises from the celiac artery and passes around the stomach to supply the spleen.

The correct answer is D