Biliary Anatomy and Embryology

The anatomy of the biliary tree is variable and at times complex, thus posing great challenges for diagnosis and treatment of its many pathologic states. This article reviews the basic embryology of the bile ducts and the anatomy of the biliary system and its variations. We have analyzed three-dimensional CT reconstructions of CT images from 178 healthy potential living liver donors and report the most common anatomic patterns of the intrahepatic and extrahepatic biliary systems.