ANOMALOUS ORIGIN OF RIGHT INFERIOR PHRENIC ARTERY

Background: To show the anomalous origin of right inferior phrenic artery from right renal artery and to discuss the embryological basis and surgical significance of such variation. Method: This was found during routine dissection of abdomen in a 61 year old adult male cadaver in the department of anatomy, R.G.Kar Medical College. Results: It was seen that right inferior phrenic artery(RIPA) took its origin from right renal artery. Further distribution of RIPA was normal. Left inferior phrenic artery (LIPA) arose normally from abdominal aorta. Conclusion: Accurate knowledge regarding this is important for carrying out vascular and reconstructive surgery and for evaluation of angiographic images . The RIPA is a major source of collateral arterial supply to hepatocellular carcinoma, second only to the hepatic artery. So a surgically inoperable HCC can be treated by transcatheter embolization of not only the right or left hepatic arteries, but also by embolization of a RIPA, if involved.