Macroscopic, mesoscopic and microscopic morphology of the gastric plexus--ontogeny of the celiac ganglion

The vagus trunks, anterior and posterior, and their respective branches control the parasympathetic innervation of the stomach. After giving off a few thin branches, at the lower part of the esophagus and the cardiac region of the stomach, the anterior vagal trunk divides into its main branches: four or five consecutive direct branches which supply the upper part of the lesser curvature; these nerves do not form plexuses and thus, they may be individually dissected. One of the branches is stronger than the others and is called the principal anterior nerve of the lesser curvature (anterior nerve of Latarjet). The present study was conducted on eight fetuses of different gestational age (resulting from spontaneous abortions, without malformations), observing the Romanian laws of professional ethics, and 15 adult cadavers (male and female) whose celiac region was dissected macro- and mesoscopically to reveal both the celiac ganglia and their afferent and efferent vessels. For the microscopic study, we used the Bielschowsky silver staining method. The meso- and macroscopic dissections revealed the anterior and posterior vagal trunks in all the specimens (100%), as well as a rich gastric periarterial plexus. The microscopic samples focused on the ontogeny of the celiac ganglion in various gestational stages.