Variations of the hepatobiliary vasculature including coexistence of accessory right hepatic artery with unusually arising double cystic arteries: case report and literature review

Familiarity with the different anatomical variations of the arterial supply of the gallbladder and liver is of great importance in all hepatobiliary surgical procedures. A complex anomaly of the hepatobiliary arterial system, which has never been reported before, was found during anatomical dissection of a 73-year-old male Caucasian cadaver. The accessory right hepatic artery (aRHA) took its origin from the gastroduodenal artery. Two cystic arteries were present, the first arising from the gastroduodenal artery (more distal than the aRHA) and the second directly from the aRHA. Potential clinical implications of this anomaly and embryology are discussed. Knowledge of the different anatomical variations of the arterial supply of the gallbladder and liver is of great importance in hepatobiliary surgical procedures.