Objective: Biliary variations is common. Most of the morbidity is due to complications related to biliary anastomoses and biliary anatomical variations in the donor. The purpose of this study; to investigate the incidence of bile duct variations in donors prior to liver transplantation by magnetic resonance cholangiography (MRCP).

Material and Method: Between January 2016 and February 2018, records of liver donor patient files undergoing MRCP with 1.5 T MRI were reviewed retrospectively. Biliary tract variations were made according to the Huang classification (Type A1-A5). The presence and type of variations were recorded. It was investigated whether the cases were suitable for transplantation.

Results: 32 cases were included in the study. The 21 cases (66%) had a normal anatomical view (Type A1). There were several variations in the remaining 11 cases (34%). There were Type A2 variation in 6 cases (19%), Type A3 in 3 cases (9%), Type A4 (3%) in 1 case, and Type A5 in 1 case (3%). Type A1 and Type A2 cases (85%) were evaluated for transplantation, while Type A3-A4 and A5 variation cases (15%) were not suitable.

Conclusion: Evaluation of the normal anatomy and variations of the biliary tract in liver transplantation is of great importance for complications that may occur during the operation or postoperative follow-up. MRCP is the first non-invasive radiological modality to evaluate biliary system.