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The caudate processus hepatic vein: a boundary hepatic vein between the caudate lobe and the right liver
Kimitaka Kogure1, Hiroyuki Kuwano, Hiroshi Yorifuji
1Department of General Surgical Science, Gunma University, Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan. kogurefm@showa.gunma-u.ac.jp
Insights
The caudate processus hepatic vein marks the boundary between the caudate lobe and adjacent liver segments. Understanding this vein
Area of Science:
- Anatomy
- Surgical Anatomy
- Hepatic Vasculature
Background:
- Hepatic veins delineate liver segments, crucial for surgical planning.
- The caudate lobe's distinct anatomy necessitates identification of its boundary vein.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the specific boundary vein between the caudate lobe and adjacent liver segments.
- To elucidate the anatomical relationship between portal vein branches and hepatic veins in this region.
Main Methods:
- Detailed dissection of 54 adult cadaveric livers.
- Correlation analysis between portal vein and hepatic vein branching patterns.
Main Results:
- The caudate processus hepatic vein was identified as a key boundary structure.
- Observed variations included direct entry into the inferior vena cava or tributary to the right hepatic vein.
- This vein drains the caudate processus and parts of the right liver.
Conclusions:
- The caudate processus hepatic vein is a potential landmark for defining the intersegmental plane.
- Knowledge of this vein's anatomy can inform new liver surgery procedures.
Objective:
This study was conducted to find the boundary vein indicating the intersegmental plane between the caudate lobe and the adjacent liver segments.
Summary Background Data:
Major hepatic veins of the human liver commonly run through the intersegmental plane and are widely used for the landmarks to define the boundary of both sides of liver segments. As the caudate lobe is a small independent unit of the liver separate from the right and left livers, the existence of the boundary hepatic vein to the adjacent liver segments has been expected.
Methods:
Fifty-four adult cadaveric livers were minutely dissected to elucidate the correlation between the portal vein branches and the hepatic veins on both the caudate lobe and the adjacent liver segments.
Results:
Among the hepatic veins of the caudate lobe, the caudate processus hepatic vein entering the inferior vena cava at hepatic hilum runs in the segmental plane between the caudate processus and the right liver. Three types of the caudate processus hepatic vein directly entering the inferior vena cava and 1 type of the exceptional hepatic vein that was the tributary of the right hepatic vein were observed. They drained the blood of the caudate processus and a part of the right liver, respectively.
Conclusions:
The caudate processus hepatic vein is one of the candidates of the hepatic vein indicating the boundary between the caudate lobe and the adjacent liver segments. New procedures will be developed on the liver surgeries by acquiring the anatomic features of this vein.
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