[Retrohepatic veins of the posterior section of the right hepatic lobe--terminology and surgical significance].

Three main hepatic veins: right, middle and left are constant, but there is a variable number of retrohepatic vessels called accessory or minor hepatic veins. The most important of them are veins reffered to as middle right hepatic vein (MRHV) draining segment VII and inferior right hepatic vein (IRHV) draining segment VI. The incidence of large MRHV and IRHV reaching or exceeding a caliber of 5mm, their arrangement in the liver and drainage territories were investigated in our collection of 142 injection-corrosion specimens of the liver. In 1/5 of the cases with large IRHV this vein drains small part of segment VI, sometimes its insignificant marginal part so it couldn't be used for segment VI preservation when it is necessary. A precise knowledge of the vein anatomy of right posterior sector of the liver and its vein drainage territories is very important during complex dissections of the retrohepatic areas, resections and preservation liver parenchima.