A rare variant of celiac trunk hexafurcation: a case report with a literature review

Additional branches of the celiac trunk (CT) pose a serious risk during procedures in the upper abdomen, as the CT supplies organs essential for the body's functioning. Therefore, it is important to document every rare anatomical variation, as this contributes to expanding specialists' knowledge, particularly because there are only a few studies describing the variation presented below.

During the dissection of an 82-year-old man, a rare hexafurcated CT was identified in the epigastric region. Measurements were taken using a digital caliper with an accuracy of 0.02 mm. No signs of previous surgical procedures were observed in this area.

CT measured 6.93 mm in diameter and 19.96 mm in length. The left gastric artery (LGA), with a diameter of 3.75 mm, branched off from the CT 13.73 mm before its two remaining branches, namely the common hepatic artery (CHA), 5.43 mm in diameter, and the splenic artery (SA), with a diameter of 5.03 mm. There were three additional branches of the CT - symmetrical left and right inferior phrenic arteries (LIPA and RIPA), with diameters of 2.35 mm and 2.79 mm, respectively, and the dorsal pancreatic artery (DPA), with a diameter of 2.87 mm. This variant is extremely rare, and there are only a few documented cases of this anomaly.

Although research on the hexafurcated CT is limited, knowledge of this area is critical to the proper conduct of many medical procedures. Therefore, identification of such variations is essential, as they may significantly impact surgical procedures and patient outcomes.