Right hepatic artery traveling anteriorly to the common bile duct

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.