Hepatic Falciform Artery: Report of 3 Cases

Tomoki Ebata, Kanji Miyata, Tatsuo Hattori, Youichiro Kobayashi,
Makoto Kato, Fumihiko Yoneyama and Eiji Takeuchi

Department of Surgery, Japanese Red Cross Nagoya First Hospital

We report three cases with diagnoses of hepatic falciform arteries (HFA). Based on 156 celiac angiograms, the incidence of the HFA was 1.9%. If possible, the HFA should be occuluded before intraarterial infusion therapy. Case 1. Angiogram performed because of hepatic metastasis from breast cancer demonstrated the HFA arising from the left hepatic artery. CT arteriography further revealed that the HFA ran just under the rectus abdominis muscle toward the umbilicus after originating from the ramus of the medial and the lateroanterior branches. Case 2. Angiogram performed because of hepatic metastasis from small intestinal leiomyosarcoma showed the HFA following a caudal course from the middle hepatic artery. Selective angiogram visualized a communication to the deep epigastric artery. The HFA was occuluded before intraarterial chemotherapy infusion. Case 3. Angiogram performed because of gallbladder cancer revealed the HFA arising from the middle hepatic artery. The falciform ligament and round ligament were removed. Histopathological examination revealed an artery, 1mm in diameter, with thick adventitia.

Key words
hepatic falciform artery, round ligament

Reprint requests
Tomoki Ebata Department of Surgery, Japanese Red Cross Nagoya First Hospital

Accepted
January 27, 1999

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