More than two structures in Calot's triangle. A postmortem study
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 13, 2026
High-resolution Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Human Subcortex In Vivo and Postmortem
Published on: December 30, 2015
1Department of Surgery, University of Bergen, SSSF Hospital, Forde, Norway.
Insights
A significant percentage of cadavers (36.2%) exhibit arterial variations in Calot's triangle, highlighting critical anatomical knowledge for surgeons performing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Area of Science:
- Surgical Anatomy
- Hepatobiliary Surgery
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
Background:
- Laparoscopic cholecystectomy series often omit data on third structures in Calot's triangle.
- Understanding anatomical variations is crucial for surgical safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and types of third structures within Calot's triangle.
- To provide critical anatomical data for surgeons performing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Main Methods:
- Examined 90 human cadavers over six months.
- Utilized corrosion casting, postmortem arteriography, and cholangiography.
Main Results:
- Arterial variations (36.2%) included early right hepatic artery division, caterpillar hump right hepatic artery, liver branch of the cystic artery, and double cystic arteries.
- Bile duct anomalies (5.7%) involved small sectoral or right posterior hepatic ducts.
- Venous anomalies (4%) showed veins merging with the portal vein.
Conclusions:
- Accurate identification of arterial, biliary, and venous variations in Calot's triangle is essential.
- This anatomical knowledge is critical for preventing complications during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Background:
Large laparoscopic cholecystectomy series often fail to report the rate at which a third structure is encountered in Calot's triangle.
Methods:
During a 6-month period, the liver and hepatoduodenal ligament of 90 consecutive human cadavers underwent corrosion casting (n = 50), postmortem arteriography (n = 20), and postmortem cholangiography (n = 20).
Results:
Third structures within Calot's triangle were arteries (0.6-5.7 mm diameter) in 36.2% (early division of the right hepatic artery, 8.6%; caterpillar hump right hepatic artery, 12.9%; liver branch of the cystic artery, 10%; double cystic arteries, 5.7%), bile ducts (0.3-1.6 mm diameter) in 5. 7% (small-caliber sectoral ducts, 1.4%; right posterior hepatic ducts, 4.3%), and veins (0.9-1.6 mm diameter) merging with the portal vein in 4% of the specimens.
Conclusion:
Knowledge of the aforementioned anatomy is critical to surgeons facing more than two structures within Calot's triangle during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
More Related Videos
08:29Symmetric Bihemispheric Postmortem Brain Cutting to Study Healthy and Pathological Brain Conditions in Humans
Published on: December 18, 2016
12:32Image Rendering Techniques in Postmortem Computed Tomography: Evaluation of Biological Health and Profile in Stranded Cetaceans
Published on: September 27, 2020
