Variations of intrahepatic and proximal extrahepatic bile ducts.
OBJECTIVE
The modern segmental concept of the liver with a segmental bile duct distribution is of practical importance for biliary specialists and should include information on variations of intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts. The aim of this study was to find biliary variations, especially on a segmental and sectorial level, and to try to arrange them into types.


METHODS
We analyzed 51 corrosion casts of the human liver, which enabled the three-dimensional study of extrahepatic, sectorial, segmental and subsegmental bile ducts, their variations in course and confluencing, and the relationship between the structures of the portal pedicle.


RESULTS
The types of confluence and their frequency were determined separately for the left, right, right anterior sectorial, right posterior sectorial and common hepatic ducts. "Normal" left confluence was formed in 82% and three variations in 18%. "Normal" right confluence was formed in 75% and four variations in 25%. A complete ("normal") anterior sectorial duct was present in 35% and four variations in 65%. A complete ("normal") posterior sectorial duct was present in 61% and four variations in 39%.


CONCLUSIONS
The study showed that the biliary tree variations are quite frequent, and therefore clinically important, and that they could be arranged into several types.
Institute of Anatomy, Medical Faculty, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
M
M
Hribernik
E M
EM
Gadzijev
B
B
Mlakar
D
D
Ravnik
D017734:Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006500:Hepatic Duct, Common / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans