Common hepatic artery originating from superior mesenteric artery with replaced right hepatic artery.

Abstract

We found a variational case relating to the arteries distributed to the liver and pancreas during the routine cadaver dissection course. The common hepatic artery originated from the superior mesenteric artery as the first branch. The common hepatic artery was soon divided into the left and right hepatic arteries and distributed to the left and right lobe of the liver. The superior pancreaticoduodenal artery arose from the gastroduodenal artery, a branch of the left hepatic artery. The inferior pancreaticoduodenal artery originated from the superior mesenteric artery. Besides, two posterior branches of the right hepatic artery supplied the duodenum and the head of the pancreas. The arterial arcades were formed behind the head of the pancreas among the superior pancreaticoduodenal artery and these two posterior branches of the right hepatic artery. In conclusion, this case can be considered a rare case in which the replaced common hepatic artery and replaced right hepatic artery occurred simultaneously. The coexisting of these two replaced arteries suggests that the developmental processes to form these variations are independent.