A morphological study of cadaveric liver

Abstract

Background: Liver is anatomically divided into right, left, quadrate, and caudate lobes. Functionally, it is divided into four portal sectors by four branches of portal vein. Three hepatic veins lie between these sectors as intersectoral veins and these intersectoral plains are called portal fissures. Minor fissures like umbilical fissure, venous fissure, and Rouviere's sulcus are visible clefts on the visceral surface of the liver. Morphological variations in size, shape, lobes, and fissures are frequently found during routine dissection. This study is focused mostly on the surgical anatomy of lobes and fissures relevant for hepatic surgery. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted on 50 formalin-preserved specimens of liver. The details of morphological features of lobes and fissures were examined and compared with the findings of previous studies. Results: Out of 50 liver specimens studied, in 8% of cases left lobe and quadrate lobe and in 12% of cases caudate lobe were hypoplastic. Accessory liver lobes were found in 12% of cases, most of which were small except 2 cases of large tongue shaped projections of accessory lobes attached to the left lobe and 2 on the right lobe. Diaphragmatic sulci were found in 12% of cases and Rouviere's sulcus in 64% of cases. Accessory fissures were also found in quadrate and caudate lobes in 24% and 22% of cases, respectively. Pons hepatis was found in 20% of cases. Conclusion: Awareness about prevalence of morphological variations of liver can help avoiding errors in diagnosis and unwanted complications during surgery.