The right and left hepatic ducts drain bile from the functional right and left halves of the liver. The right duct is short and formed by the right anterior and right posterior sectional ducts; the left duct is longer and runs more horizontally under segment IV. They join at the porta hepatis to form the common hepatic duct.
| Location | Porta hepatis, emerging from the right and left halves of the liver |
|---|---|
| Parts |
|
| Nerve Supply | Hepatic plexus |
| Blood Supply | Branches of the right and left hepatic arteries |
| Venous drainage |
|
| Lymphatic drainage |
|
Carry bile from the right and left liver toward the common hepatic duct.
The pattern of ducts at the confluence varies widely, and an aberrant right posterior duct draining low into the common hepatic or cystic duct is at risk during cholecystectomy. Cancers at the confluence are classified by how far they extend into each hepatic duct, which decides whether they can be resected. Sclerosing cholangitis can stricture these ducts and those inside the liver.
Cancer of the hepatic duct confluence classified by its extension into the right and left ducts, presenting with painless jaundice.
Chronic inflammation and scarring of the bile ducts inside and outside the liver, strongly linked to ulcerative colitis.
Accidental division of a variant right hepatic duct during gallbladder surgery, causing bile leak or stricture.
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