A Tongue-like Projection of the Left Lobe in Human Liver, Accompanied with Lienorenal Venous Shunt and Intrahepatic Arterial Anastomosis

Abstract

The characteristic features of a tongue-like projection of the left lobe of the liver in a female adult, accompanied with a large lienorenal venous shunt and an intrahepatic anastomosis of the hepatic arteries, are described. By dissecting the liver parenchyma, this projection is supplied by a set of the lateral segmental branches of the portal vein, hepatic artery and hepatic ducts and by the branch of the left hepatic vein. The boundary between the abnormal and the proper left lobes can not be confirmed accurately, because the tongue-like projection is overlapped with the paraumbilical lobe on the visceral surface. However, the position is estimated a transverse line superior to the attachment to the proper left lobe. The anomaly is derived from a medial and inferior portion of the left lobe of the liver and may be regarded as a left half of the central lobe in the ape etiologically. No evidences to justify the co-existence of the tongue-like projection with the lienorenal shunt are confirmed.