Anatomical variants of the cystic artery: An Australian perspective

Aims and Objective: This cadaver-based study aims to identify variants of the cystic artery within the Australian population. At the time of writing, original research in this area toward the Australian population has been limited.

Methods: 200 cadavers were donated over 5 years to The University of Melbourne for surgical anatomy teaching. Each cadaver was meticulously dissected by experienced anatomists with particular attention to anatomical variants. The variants described where the origin of the cystic artery, number of vessels and relationship to Calot’s triangle. These were compared to global studies designed in a similar fashion.

Results: 186 specimens demonstrated normal anatomy, and 14 demonstrated variant anatomy of the cystic artery. 96.0% originated from the right hepatic artery, 98.5% were single vessel, and 95.5% of specimens originated within Calot’s triangle. An extremely rare variation was encountered.

Conclusion: The Australian population in this study demonstrates a constant albeit unique proportion of variation, dissimilar to some populations around the world. This is an important anatomical consideration for the Australian trained general surgeon attending to the international patient.