Objective To investigate the anatomical characteristics of human hepatic anterior fissure vein.

Methods The retrospective and descriptive study was used. A total of 22 adult cadaver specimens were collected from the Department of Human Anatomy of Harbin Medical University from March 2018 to March 2021. There were 15 males and 7 females, aged 45(range, 18‒75)years. Observation indicators: (1) recognition rate of hepatic anterior fissure vein and the location of hepatic anterior fissure vein merging into hepatic vein; (2) length of hepatic anterior fissure vein and the opening diameter of hepatic anterior fissure vein merging into hepatic vein; (3) location of hepatic anterior fissure vein and the ventral hepatic vein of segment Ⅷ of liver (V8v) as well as V8v condition; (4) relationship among hepatic anterior fissure vein, anterior ventral portal vein and anterior dorsal portal vein. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean±SD, and t test was used for comparison between groups. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range), and count data were expressed as absolute numbers or percentages.

Results (1) Recognition rate of hepatic anterior fissure vein and the location of hepatic anterior fissure vein merging into hepatic vein. The recognition rate of hepatic anterior fissure vein of 22 liver samples was 90.9% (20/22). There were 9.1%(2/22) of liver samples without hepatic anterior fissure vein. The proportions of hepatic anterior fissure vein merging into proximal middle hepatic vein and proximal right hepatic vein were 19/20 and 1/20, respectively. There was no liver sample with hepatic anterior fissure vein merging into distal middle hepatic vein and distal right hepatic vein. (2) Length of hepatic anterior fissure vein and the opening diameter of hepatic anterior fissure vein merging into hepatic vein. In the 20 liver samples with hepatic anterior fissure vein, the length of hepatic anterior fissure vein was (6.41±1.26)cm, and the opening diameter of hepatic anterior fissure vein merging into hepatic vein was (0.38±0.10)cm. (3) Location of anterior fissure vein and the V8v and V8v condition. In the 22 liver samples, there were 25 V8v branches merging into the proximal middle hepatic vein, with the V8v length as (3.83±0.36)cm and the V8v diameter as (0.16±0.08)cm. In the 17 liver samples with both hepatic anterior fissure vein and V8v, the proportion of V8v merging into hepatic anterior fissure vein and then into middle hepatic vein was 14/17, the proportion of hepatic anterior fissure vein and V8v merging into middle hepatic vein separately was 3/17, and there was no liver sample with hepatic anterior fissure vein merging into right hepatic vein and V8v merging into middle hepatic vein. (4) Relationship among hepatic anterior fissure vein, anterior ventral portal vein and anterior dorsal portal vein. Of the 20 liver samples with hepatic anterior fissure vein, the hepatic anterior fissure vein of 16 liver samples could be used as the demarcation mark of anterior ventral segment and anterior dorsal segment of hepatic right anterior region. The distance between the hepatic anterior fissure vein and anterior ventral portal vein was (1.40±0.43)cm, and that between the hepatic anterior fissure vein and anterior dorsal portal vein was (1.46±0.63)cm, showing no significant difference between them (t=1.00, P>0.05).

Conclusion The hepatic anterior fissure vein exists in most normal adult livers, and it mostly merges into proximal middle hepatic vein. The hepatic anterior fissure vein can be identified by the condition of V8v. The hepatic anterior fissure vein can be used as the demarcation mark of anterior ventral segment and anterior dorsal segment of hepatic right anterior region.