ABSTRACT
Background: With ever increasing load of liver disease on population of developed as well as developingcountries, it has become mandatory to have a detailed knowledge about hepatic arteries. Since adequate literatureregarding hepatic arteries and its variation e in people living in and around Eluru is not available, a study ofhepatic arteries ad its variation is carried out in our ASRAM medical college, Andhra Pradesh, India.Aims and objectives: To study the variations in the origin, course of right hepatic arteryMaterials and methods: This study was conducted in 60 embalmed adult cadavers of both sexes of age groupbetween 50 to 80 years. The common hepatic artery and its branch gastroduodenal artery were identified. Properhepatic artery in the hepatoduodenal ligament was traced and the relation of the common hepatic artery and theproper hepatic artery were noted. Origin of the RHA was traced and the presence of aberrant right hepaticarteries: (i) Replaced; (ii) Accessory were noted. To identify the presence of aberrant right hepatic arteries,abdominal aorta was exposed from the level of origin of the coeliac trunk to the level of origin of the inferiormesenteric artery.Results: In this study, the right hepatic artery originates from the proper hepatic artery in 24 (60%) specimens.Theaberrant, accessory and replaced right hepatic artery were found to be 20%, 12.5%, and 7.5% respectively. 5% ofspecimen showed caterpillar hump in right hepatic artery.Conclusion: Right hepatic artery is subject to anatomical variation in its origin and course. Because of anatomicvariations in the RHA, surgical injuries in the liver can occur even by the most experienced surgeon. A thoroughknowledge of the RHA anatomy is necessary while performing hepatic surgery and hepatic arteriography