A rare variant angioarchitecture of upper abdomen
During routine dissection in subhepatic region of abdomen of a well embalmed 70-year-old male cadaver in the Department of Anatomy, M. L. N. Medical College, Allahabad, India, on 15 May 2012, following variations in the branching pattern of CT and SMA were encountered.\nThe CT was seen arising from left lateral aspect of the abdominal aorta at the level between T12-L1 vertebrae instead of its usual ventral origin. After a short course of 7 mm the CT was observed to give rise an additional branch i.e., gastroduodenal artery (GDA) (diameter, 5 mm) in addition to its usual three branches viz. LGA (diameter, 4 mm), SA (diameter, 8 mm), and CHA (diameter, 7 mm) (). SA followed an unusual straight course towards left and was not tortuous as it should be. CHA gave off right gastric artery (RGA) after a course of 12 mm from its origin and continued as left hepatic artery (LHA). LHA ascended towards the liver in the right free margin of lesser omentum, anterior to portal vein and left to the common bile duct; and gave off an unusually long cystic artery (CA) (diameter, 4 mm) before entering into liver parenchyma at the porta hepatis. SMA arose from the ventral surface of abdominal aorta at the level of L1 vertebra, 22 mm distal to the origin of CT; and descended behind the neck of pancreas, where it gave off a "replaced" right hepatic artery (RHA) (diameter, 6 mm) for the supply of right lobe of liver. No right sided hepatic arterial system was identified from the CHA. This replaced RHA exhibited a long and tortuous course towards the liver and was crossed in front by CA before its entrance into the porta hepatis. The CA was running laterally after its origin from LHA, in front of replaced RHA and gave off 2-3 small anastomotic branches running down towards hepatic flexor of colon, in addition to its usual superficial and deep branches to the gallbladder (, ).\nNo other anomalous blood vessel was identified. Diameter of all arteries was measured with the help of sliding vernier caliper and scale.