Rare variant of hepatic arterial supply: a cadaveric case report with a literature review

The most common pattern of hepatic arterial anatomy includes the left and right hepatic artery, both branching from the proper hepatic artery.  We present a case where an additional, accessory hepatic artery, originating from the gastroduodenal artery, was found during anatomical dissection. The described artery enters porta hepatis separately, not following the left or right hepatic artery, which may implicate that the accessory artery provides arterial supply for the region defined as segments IVa and IVb (according to Couinaud’s liver segment classification). Such an extremely rare variation of liver vascularization is poorly described in the literature, and it is not included in any of the currently valid classifications. The accessory artery presented in our case could be significant in clinical settings due to its impact on the outcome of surgical procedures.