Ultrasound Animal Challenge 3 – Answer
*/
The correct answer to the question "Which structure does the 'tail of a whale' describe?" is:
A) Coeliac trunk
The coeliac trunk is the first major branch that arises from the abdominal aorta. It has three major branches called left gastric-, common hepatic- and splenic arteries. It supplies the liver, stomach, abdominal part of the esophagus, spleen, and the superior half of both the duodenum and the pancreas.
With ultrasound the hepatic and the splenic artery together with the coeliac trunk resemble the tail of a whale.
Yours,
Ulli Handler, Thomas Binder and the 123sonography team
PS: If you missed the previous Animal Challenge posts you can always visit our “zoo”: