Abstract
The liver segmentation is determined by the distribution of the vascular and ductal hepatic elements; from this, the hepatic portal vein (HPV), the central element of liver afferent pedicle, is the most important. The posterior branch (PB) is serving right lateral division (RLD) of the liver and presents the lowest morphological variability. On a total of 125 pieces of liver corrosion casts, one examined the intraparenchymal distribution of portal PB and the segmentation of RLD. Regarding the intraparenchymal distribution of the branches in the RLD of the liver, we showed four distinct morphological types: Type I (77.6% of cases) in which the PB bifurcate symmetrically in branch of segments VI and branch of segment VII; Type II (8.8% of cases) in which the PB bifurcate in branch of segment VII and an inferior branch, that bifurcate branch of segment VI and branch of segment VIA; Type III 12.8% of cases) in which the PB bifurcate in branch of segment VI and a superior branch, that bifurcate in branch of segment VII and branch of segment VIIA; Type IV (0.8% of cases) in which the PB trifurcate in branch of segment VI, branch of posterior intermediate segments, and branch of segment VII. Knowledge of these morphological types of portal PB is important for clinical and surgical practice. Keywords: corrosion casts; hepatic portal vein; posterior branch; variability; morphological typologies