Missing common Hepatic Artery and variant Right Hepatic Artery - An incidental finding on CT imaging

Abstract

During abdominal surgery, the blood supply to the liver and other abdominal organs plays a vital role. The knowledge regarding hepatic artery variations is crucial for various surgical and radiological procedures concerning the liver and dutiful to be reported. We aim to report a case of variant origin of the right hepatic artery to contribute to the existing knowledge pool to improve surgical safety. The present case describes a variant hepatic vascularization encountered on 3D volume-rendered CT imaging of a 60-year-old male admitted to the hospital emergency for recurrent abdominal pain. The common hepatic artery was absent. The right hepatic artery was observed to arise from the superior mesenteric artery, while the left hepatic artery arose directly from the coeliac artery. Awareness of such abnormalities is critical to minimize morbidity and prevent operational complications in hepatic surgery or liver transplantation. KEY WORDS: hepatic artery, CT scan, variations, anatomy, superior mesenteric artery, liver.