Anomalous origin of the right colic artery from the right gastroepiploic artery during complete mesocolic excision: a rare case report

Complete mesocolic excision (CME) is a standardized surgical procedure for colonic cancer that requires ample knowledge of the anatomical patterns of the colic arteries. Variations of the colic vessels encumber both surgical and endovascular techniques. In the presented case below, the right colic artery was incidentally detected emerging from the right gastroepiploic artery, during CME. Surgeons should be always aware of this variation in order to perform safe abdominal surgeries and sufficient resection of the regional lymph nodes with a view to minimizing the probability of recurrence of disease when encountering colonic cancer.