Anterior nerve of lesser curvature

Nervus anterior curvaturae minoris

  • Synonym: Greater anterior gastric nerve
  • Eponym: Anterior nerve of Latarjet

Definition

Anterior nerve of lesser curvature (a.k.a. greater anterior gastric nerve OR the anterior gastric nerve of Latarjet) comes off from the anterior vagal trunk.

The anterior vagal trunk–as it passes through the esophageal hiatus of the diaphragm–gives off several branches near the gastroesophageal junction. These include the anterior gastric branches, the anterior nerve of lesser curvature, pyloric and hepatic branches. Amongst them, the anterior nerve of lesser curvature continues to descend along the lesser curvature of the stomach, sandwiched between the anterior and posterior peritoneal layers of the lesser omentum. It innervates the body and antrum of the stomach and terminates near the angular incisure.

The anterior nerve of lesser curvature also gives off a pyloric branch that runs inferomedial to the antrum and innervates the pylorus, before running superiorly to join the hepatic plexus, for innervating the liver parenchyma and vasculature, biliary tree and gall bladder, and the structures in the free edge of lesser omentum. Apart from this, an additional branch to the pylorus also comes from the hepatic plexus.

Text written by Muhammad A. Javaid, MD, PhD © 2023 IMAIOS.

  • Standring, S. and Gray, H. (2016). ‘Chapter 64: Abdominal esophagus and stomach’ in Gray’s anatomy The anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. (41st ed.) New York: Elsevier, pp. 1118.

  • Fillmore, E.P. and Seifert, M.F. (2015). ‘Chapter 27-Anatomy of the Vagus Nerve’, in Nerves and Nerve Injuries. Editor(s): Tubbs, R.S., Rizk, E., Shoja, M.M., Loukas, M., Barbaro, N. and Spinner, R.J. Academic Press, pp. 385-397. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-410390-0.00028-7

  • Shukla, S.N. and Gohiya, S. (2014). Study of anatomical variations of anterior nerve of Latarjet and its clinical significance-A cadaveric study. International Journal of Medical Science and Public Health. 3(3): 493-500.


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