An Incidental Discovery of the Intrathoracic Accessory Liver Lobe in a 72-Year-Old Man: Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

Accessory liver lobe is a rare finding, with the most common cases being accessory liver tissue on the gallbladder wall separate from the orthotopic liver. As the incidence of the ectopic liver is low there are only several case reports in published literature that describe similar presentations. We report a case of intrathoracic liver lobe that was connected to the main liver by a thick pedicle. Due to benign presentation, the patient was discharged without any surgical intervention. This case highlights the importance of understanding anatomical variability of internal organs, understanding the risks of torsion and malignant transformation of the accessory liver tissue. The literature review provides an excellent overview of published case series and reports, and outlines current recommendations on imaging, diagnosis, and management.

Keywords

• accessory liver lobe
• intrathoracic liver
• liver/abnormalities
• liver/surgery
• HCC
• liver malignancy