Question

Which of the following positions best describes the location of the celiac plexus?

• A. Anterolateral to the aorta
• B. Posterolateral to the aorta
• C. Anterolateral to the sympathetic chain
• D. Anteromedial to the sympathetic chain

Hint:

It wraps the celiac trunk, which springs off the front of the aorta.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Place the plexus. The celiac plexus is the largest of the autonomic plexuses. It lies in the upper abdomen at the level of the first lumbar vertebra, around the root of the celiac trunk.

Step 2: Relate it to the aorta. The abdominal aorta lies in the midline against the vertebral bodies. The celiac plexus and its ganglia lie in front of and to the sides of the aorta, that is anterolateral to the aorta, surrounding the origins of the celiac trunk and superior mesenteric artery.

Step 3: Eliminate the wrong options. The plexus is not behind the aorta, so posterolateral to the aorta is wrong. The sympathetic chains lie further laterally along the sides of the vertebral bodies, so describing the plexus relative to the sympathetic chain does not give its best anatomical position; the plexus sits medial and anterior to the chains, not the way options C and D state.

Step 4: The clinical relevance is that a celiac plexus block, used for upper abdominal cancer pain, targets this anterolateral periaortic position.

The answer is A. Anterolateral to the aorta.