The hepatic artery proper (also proper hepatic artery) is the artery that supplies the

liver The liver is a major metabolic organ (anatomy), organ exclusively found in vertebrates, which performs many essential biological Function (biology), functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of var ...

and

gallbladder In vertebrates, the gallbladder, also known as the cholecyst, is a small hollow Organ (anatomy), organ where bile is stored and concentrated before it is released into the small intestine. In humans, the pear-shaped gallbladder lies beneath t ...

. It raises from the common hepatic artery, a branch of the

celiac artery The celiac () artery (also spelled coeliac in British English), also known as the celiac trunk or truncus coeliacus, is the first major branch of the abdominal aorta. It is about 1.25 cm in length. Branching from the aorta at thoracic verte ...

Structure

The hepatic artery proper arises from the common hepatic artery and runs alongside the

portal vein The portal vein or hepatic portal vein (HPV) is a blood vessel that carries blood from the gastrointestinal tract, gallbladder, pancreas and spleen to the liver. This blood contains nutrients and toxins extracted from digested contents. Approxima ...

and the

common bile duct The common bile duct (also bile duct) is a part of the biliary tract. It is formed by the union of the common hepatic duct and cystic duct. It ends by uniting with the pancreatic duct to form the ampulla of Vater (hepatopancreatic ampulla). ...

to form the

portal triad In histology (microscopic anatomy), the lobules of liver, or hepatic lobules, are small divisions of the liver defined at the microscopic scale. The hepatic lobule is a building block of the liver tissue, consisting of portal triads, hepatocytes ...

. A branch of the common hepatic arterythe

gastroduodenal artery In anatomy, the gastroduodenal artery is a small blood vessel in the abdomen. It supplies blood directly to the pylorus (distal part of the stomach) and proximal part of the duodenum. It also indirectly supplies the pancreatic head (via the anterio ...

gives off the small supraduodenal artery to the

duodenal bulb The duodenal bulb (also ampulla of duodenum, duodenal ampulla, or duodenal cap) is the initial, dilated portion of (the superior part of) the duodenum just distal to the stomach; it begins at the pylorus and ends at the neck of the gallbladder. ...

. Then the

right gastric artery The right gastric artery usually arises from the proper hepatic artery. It descends to the pyloric end of the stomach The stomach is a muscular, hollow organ in the upper gastrointestinal tract of Human, humans and many other animals, includ ...

comes off and runs to the left along the lesser curvature of the stomach to meet the

left gastric artery In human anatomy, the left gastric artery arises from the celiac artery and runs along the superior portion of the lesser curvature of the stomach before anastomosing with the right gastric artery (which runs right to left). It also issues es ...

, which is a branch of the

celiac trunk The celiac () artery (also spelled coeliac in British English), also known as the celiac trunk or truncus coeliacus, is the first major branch of the abdominal aorta. It is about 1.25 cm in length. Branching from the aorta at thoracic vert ...

. It subsequently bifurcates into the right and left hepatic arteries.

Variant anatomy

Of note, the right and left hepatic arteries may demonstrate variant anatomy. A misplaced right hepatic artery may arise from the

superior mesenteric artery In human anatomy, the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) is an artery which arises from the anterior surface of the abdominal aorta, just inferior to the origin of the celiac trunk, and supplies blood to the intestine from the lower part of the ...

(SMA) and a misplaced left hepatic artery may arise from the

. The

cystic artery The cystic artery (also known as bachelor artery) is (usually) a branch of the right hepatic artery that provides arterial supply to the gallbladder and contributes arterial supply to the extrahepatic bile ducts. Anatomy The cystic artery usually ...

generally comes from the right hepatic artery. Other variants of right hepatic artery includes: arising directly from the proximal or middle part of common hepatic artery, gastroduodenal artery, superior mesenteric artery, celiac axis, aorta, splenic artery, or left gastric artery instead of arising from proper hepatic artery.

Additional images

File:Gallbladder and hepatic artery 2.jpg, Proper hepatic artery File:Gray847.png, Abdominal portion of the sympathetic trunk, with the celiac and hypogastric plexuses. File:Gray1039.png, Horizontal disposition of the peritoneum in the upper part of the abdomen. File:Slide6CHA.JPG, Hepatic artery proper. Visceral surface of liver.

References

External links

Proper hepatic artery
- Washington Hospital Center. * - "Stomach, Spleen and Liver: Contents of the

Hepatoduodenal ligament The hepatoduodenal ligament is the portion of the lesser omentum extending between the porta hepatis of the liver and the superior part of the duodenum. Running inside it are the following structures collectively known as the portal triad: * he ...

" * *
Cystic artery
{{Authority control Arteries of the abdomen