Which adrenal gland lies lateral to the aorta and posterior-medial to the splenic artery and tail of the pancreas?

• A. Left adrenal gland
• B. Right adrenal gland
• C. Neither
• D. Both

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is the left adrenal gland's position relative to midline structures in the upper abdomen. The left adrenalgland sits on the left side of the aorta, lateral to it. It is also behind (posterior to) the splenic artery and the tail of the pancreas, which run anterior to it as they course toward the spleen. Because these structures pass in front of the gland and toward the left, the left adrenal gland ends up posterior-medial to them while remaining lateral to the aorta. The right adrenal gland would lie more to the right of the aorta and closer to the IVC, not in this left-sided relation. Therefore, the gland described is the left adrenal gland.