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Background Knowledge of the anatomy of the celiac trunk (CT) and arterial supply of the hepatobiliary system is essential for surgical and interventional radiological treatment of upper abdominal diseases. Objectives To determine the branching patterns of the CT and variation in origin and type of the right hepatic artery (RHA), left hepatic artery (LHA), and cystic artery (CA). Methods The anatomy of the CT in 100 cadavers from Thai adult donors was observed in 3 aspects: its branching pattern, the origin of the RHA and LHA, and the origin of the CA and its relation to the common bile duct (CBD) and common hepatic duct (CHD). Results The majority of the CT branching pattern was categorized as the type II classical pattern, which has 3 branches: the left gastric artery (LGA), splenic artery (SA), and common hepatic artery (CHA). The RHA branched from proper hepatic artery in 67 cadavers. The origin of the accessory RHA was either from the abdominal aorta or superior mesenteric artery (SMA), whereas the replaced RHA originated from the CHA, SMA, or CT. The accessory LHA ramified from CHA (2 cases) and LGA (1 case). The replaced LHA was found in 30 cadavers and 29 arose from the CHA. The single and double types of CA were found in 94 and 4 cadavers, respectively. In all, 57% of single CA passed posteriorly and 39% passed anteriorly to the CBD and CHD. Conclusions To lower posttreatment complications, variations in the anatomy and the vascular supply of hepatobiliary structures should be considered.

Variations of the arterial and venous system of the abdomen and pelvis have important clinical significance in hepatobiliary surgery, abdominal laparoscopy, and radiological intervention. A case of double inferior vena cava (IVC) with complex interiliac communication and variation of the common hepatic artery (CHA) arising from superior mesenteric artery (SMA) in a 79-year-old male cadaver is presented. Both IVCs ascended on either side of the abdominal aorta. The left-sided IVC crossed anterior to the aorta at the level of the left renal vein. The union of both IVCs was at the level just above the right renal vein. The diameter of right-sided IVC, left-sided IVC and the common IVC were 16.73 mm, 21.57 mm and 28.75 mm, respectively. In the pelvic cavity, the right common iliac vein was formed by a union of right external and internal iliac veins while the formation of left common iliac vein was from the external iliac vein and two internal iliac veins. An interiliac vein ran from right internal iliac vein to left common iliac vein with an additional communicating vein running from the middle of this interiliac vein to the right common iliac vein. Another co-existence variation in this case was the origin of the CHA arising from the SMA with a suprapancreatic retroportal course. Clinical importance of double IVC are observed in retroperitoneal surgery, whole organ transplantation or radical nephrectomy, surgical ligation of the IVC or the placement of an IVC filter for thromboembolic disease. The variation of CHA has an important clinical significance in liver transplantation, abdominal laparoscopy and radiological abdominal intervention. (Folia Morphol 2018; 77, 1: 151-155).