Right/left symmetry of the intrahepatic distribution and terminology of the hepatic artery proper and the intrahepatic bile duct system: proposals to revise the Terminologia Anatomica

Anatomical terminology is the foundation of medical terminology and it is important that doctors and scientists throughout the world use the same name for each structure. It is also important that the anatomical terms for a specific anatomical structure are presented in a logical order. To eliminate confusion, it is crucial that the same name is not attributed to two or more anatomical elements. However, the term artery of caudate lobe is used for two distinct anatomic elements with different origins (right/left branch of hepatic proper artery). Also, I draw attention to the incorrect positioning of right/left duct of caudate lobe in the description of terms homologated for the intrahepatic bile duct system. These proposals to amend the terminology in the liver anatomy are a necessary step in the evolution of the Terminologia Anatomica.