Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Right hepatic artery traveling anteriorly to the common bile duct

  • Case report
  • Published:
Anatomical Science International Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The topographic relationship between arteries and hepatobiliary ducts can be crucial during cholecystectomy. We observed the right hepatic artery traveling a rare route in a 91-year-old male. The common hepatic artery gave off the left hepatic, the right gastric, the gastroduodenal, and the right hepatic arteries consecutively without forming the proper hepatic artery. The right hepatic artery crossed the common bile duct anteriorly, ascended on the right side of the duct, passed the cystic duct posteriorly, and entered the right lobe of the liver. The so-called 9 o’clock artery running on the right side of the common hepatic and common biliary is reasonably speculated to be the aberrant right hepatic artery as presently shown. Developmental and clinical issues are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

ALGA:

Accessory left gastric artery

CA:

Cystic artery

CBD:

Common bile duct

CD:

Cystic duct

CHA:

Common hepatic artery

CT:

Celiac trunk

DPA:

Dorsal pancreatic artery

FL:

Falciform ligament

GdA:

Gastroduodenal artery

GbF:

Gallbladder fossa

HN:

Hepatic nerve

IPA:

Inferior phrenic artery

LGA:

Left gastric artery

LHA:

Left hepatic artery

PSPdA:

Posterior superior pancreaticoduodenal artery

PV:

Portal vein

RGA:

Right gastric artery

RHA:

Right hepatic artery

RPV:

Right portal vein

SA:

Splenic artery

SMA:

Superior mesenteric artery

SV:

Splenic vein

References

  • Adachi B (1928) Das Arteriensystem der Japaner. Band I. Maruzen, Kyoto, pp 53–56

  • Aizawa Y, Ohtsuka K, Kumaki K (1996) Examination of the courses of the arteries in the axillary region. 2. The course of the axillary arteries in the case of Adachi’s C-type brachial plexus (in Japanese with English abstract). Acta Anat Nippon 71:92–105

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Covey AM, Brody LA, Maluccio MA, Getrajdman GI, Brown KT (2002) Variant hepatic arterial anatomy revisited: digital subtraction angiography performed in 600 patients. Radiology 224:542–547

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Honma S, Tokiyoshi A, Kawai K, Koizumi M, Kodama K (2008) Radial artery running beneath the biceps tendon and its interrelation between the radial recurrent arteries. Anat Sci Int 83:232–238

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kawai K, Honma S, Koizumi M, Kodama K (2008) Inferior epigastric artery arising from the obturator artery as a terminal branch of the internal iliac artery and consideration of its rare occurrence. Ann Anat 190:541–548

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lippert H, Pabst R (1985) Arterial variations in man. Bergmann, Munich, pp 32–33

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Michels NA (1955) Blood supply and anatomy of the upper abdominal organs. Lippincott, Philadelphia, pp 141–142, 365

  • Northover JMA, Terblanche J (1979) A new look at the arterial supply of the bile duct in man and its surgical implications. Br J Surg 66:379–384

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Parke WW, Michels NA, Ghosh GM (1963) Blood supply of the common bile duct. Surg Gynecol Obstet 117:47–55

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Saba L, Mallarini G (2011) Anatomic variations of arterial liver vascularization: an analysis by using MDCTA. Surg Radiol Anat 33:559–568

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Skandalakis JE (2004) Skandalakis’ surgical anatomy, vol 2. Paschalidis, Athens, pp 1109–1130

    Google Scholar 

  • Song SY, Chung JW, Lim HG, Park JH (2006) Nonhepatic arteries originating from the hepatic arteries: angiographic analysis in 250 patients. J Vasc Interv Radiol 17:461–469

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Strasberg SM, Helton WS (2011) An analytical review of vasculobiliary injury in laparoscopic and open cholecystectomy. HPB (Oxford) 13:1–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suzuki H (1982) Correlation and anomalies of the vascular structure in Glisson’s area around the hepatic hilum, from the standpoint of hepatobiliary surgery. Arch Jpn Chir 51:713–731

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Weiglein AH (1996) Variations and topography of the arteries in the lesser omentum in human. Clin Anat 9:143–150

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Morphological Neuroscience, Department of Anatomy, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta Tsukinowa-cho, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2192, Japan

    Satoru Honma & Motoi Kudo

  2. Division of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Anatomy, Shiga University of Medical Science, Seta Tsukinowa-cho, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2192, Japan

    Wakoto Matsuda

  3. Neurosensing and Bionavigation Research Center, Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan

    Motoi Kudo

Authors
  1. Satoru Honma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Wakoto Matsuda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Motoi Kudo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Satoru Honma.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Honma, S., Matsuda, W. & Kudo, M. Right hepatic artery traveling anteriorly to the common bile duct. Anat Sci Int 88, 93–96 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12565-012-0134-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12565-012-0134-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation