Variations of hepatic artery: anatomical study on cadavers.

Objectives: to demonstrate the minutiae of hepatic arterial system, the incidence of anatomical variations and to compare data obtained from the literature, thus contributing with students and professionals working in this area.

Methods: We prepared 45 corpses at the Department of Anatomy of the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, between July 2010 and April 2011, of which group 30 displayed integrity of structures. We analyzed the anatomical variations of the hepatic arteries, their main characteristics, such as origin, course, length and diameter.