Classification of Celiac Trunk Variations Using Computed Tomography Angiography: A Retrospective Study

The celiac trunk variations are quite diverse and have been the subject of many studies. One of these studies, conducted by Panagouli et al. (2013), provides a comprehensive classification. This study aims to analyze the celiac trunk variations in 1306 adult cases evaluated with computed tomography angiography according to this classification, and also to contribute to the existing classification by evaluating different subtypes. A total of 1306 patients, including 605 (46.3%) females and 701 (53.7%) males were evaluated retrospectively. The findings were classified into thirteen subtypes, including ten basic types, and their distribution within the total study population was presented according to sex. Type III (additional branches) in Panagouli’s classification was further divided into six subtypes. A total of 545 cases (41.8%) (female: 22.5% of the total cohort, male: 19.3% of the total cohort), including subtypes Type I (Form 1, Form 2a and Form 2c), exhibited the typical branching pattern. The celiac trunk variations were identified in 58.2% of the cases. Among the additional branch anomalies (Type III), the most frequently detected subtype was right inferior phrenic artery and left inferior phrenic artery originating from the celiac trunk with a common root (Form 5) (17.22%). The findings of our study underscore the clinical importance of recognizing anatomic variations in surgical and interventional procedures and emphasize the need for careful preoperative assessment. Furthermore, the identification of new subtypes expands the current classification system and may serve as a useful reference for future anatomical and radiological studies.