AbstractThe increased susceptibility to infection following splenectomy calls for a partial organ‐preserving operative procedure. The basis for this conservative surgery depends on a thorough knowledge of the vascular anatomy of the organ. With this in mind 32 spleens were studied by angiographies and corrosion casts. The organs were classified into four groups according to their vascular pattern with special emphasis on the blood supply of the polar segments. Two, three, and four segments were found in 3.1%, 15.6%, and 81.3%, respectively. A bifurcation of the splenic artery was noted in 93.8%, and a trifurcation in 6.2%. A Y‐type of branching of the hilar vessels with easier access for surgical procedures was noticed in 84.4%, and a T‐type in 9.4%; in 6.2% a classification was not possible. Intersegmentary anastomoses, as a potential hazard for operations on the spleen, were present in 15.6%. Arteries and veins coincided. The exact diagnosis of the specific individual vascular anatomy and segmental organization of the spleen are necessary presuppositions for a successful partial spleen‐preserving technique. © 1993 Wiley