Unreported Multiple Variants Of Common Hepatic Artery

Abstract

The liver gets 25-35% of nutritional source from the hepatic artery. During routine dissection of a 70 year old male embalmed cadaver we found an anomalous branching pattern of CHA. It was found that the common hepatic artery trifurcating extra hepatically into GDA, RHA, LHA. Hepatic artery proper was found missing. In addition an accessory branch arising from the CHA to the SMA were identified and never been reported in the literature. CHA gave early branches into LHA and RHA, especially before entering into the porta hepatis. It was unusual from the classical text books, of which the RHA courses ventral to portal vein traversing to the right lobe and gives rise to two cystic arteries along with the branches to the right lobe and to the quadrate lobe of the liver. LHA courses superficial and medial to portal vein with its two segmental branches .The union of right and left hepatic ducts were not found extra hepatically. The knowledge of the multiple variant hepatic arterial patterns is essential for the surgeons and to the radiologists for the definitive surgical planning while encountering the procedures in and around the porta hepatis to avoid the injury to hepato biliary structures. Hence it was inconsistent as well as atypical the case has been reported.