CT of the papillary process of the caudate lobe of the liver.

Abstract

The caudate lobe of the liver is divided inferiorly into a lateral caudate process and a medial papillary process. Below the porta hepatis, the papillary process may appear separate from the liver on transverse sectional images. A normal-size or small papillary process may be mistaken for enlarged porta hepatis nodes on computed tomographic (CT) scans, whereas a large papillary process may mimic a pancreatic body mass. The authors described the various CT appearances of the papillary process, based on a study of anatomic cadaver sections and abdominal CT scans. They emphasize the importance of careful analysis of the caudate lobe contours on consecutive CT sections for differentiating the papillary process from extrahepatic lesions.