Study of Variations in the Morphology of Liver in the Nepalese Cadavers

Abstract

Backgrounds: Liver is the largest viscera, located in the right hypochondrium, epigastrium and left hypochondrium of the abdominal cavity. It is a wedge-shaped organ with its narrow end pointed towards the left. It is convex in the front, to the right, above, and behind, and is somewhat concave inferiorly, where it is moulded to the shapes of the adjacent viscera. Even though the surface is smoothly continuous, liver is customarily apportioned by the anatomists into a larger right and a smaller left lobe by the line of attachment of the falciform ligament anteriorly and the fissure for ligamentum teres and ligamentum venosum on inferior surface. Materials and Methods: The present study was conducted on 50 formalin fixed livers and gall bladders during routine labex of undergraduate students in the dissection hall of Anatomy department of Nobel Medical College Teaching Hospitals, Biratnagar, Nepal in the period of 3 years starting from June 2016 to May 2019. Each of the specimens was studied for morphological variations. Results: In the present study the livers with normal architectures were considered normal. Out of 50 liver specimens, 21 were normal without any gross anomalies with normal architecture. The remaining 29 specimens showed some short of accessory fissures and lobes on the different lobes of the liver. Out of 29 specimens in 2 specimens lingular process was observed arising from the left lobe. Hypoplastic left lobes was also observed in 2 specimens. Conclusions: Knowledge of morphological variations like atrophy, agenesis, presence of accessory lobes and fissures, presence of intrahepatic gall bladder and absence of normal fissure and lobe can cause diagnostic error in interpretation for the anatomists, radiologists and surgeons.