A case of accessory anterior hepatic fissure: Cadaveric study with retrospective radiological investigation into its vascularity

Abstract

The hepatic diaphragmatic surface is usually smooth and featureless. Although the existing literature mentions grooves or fissures on the diaphragmatic surface, there is no consensus regarding its causative factors. During routine dissection, the authors found a liver with a broad accessory fissure on the anterior surface of the anatomical right lobe. An enlarged hepatic area was observed on the left side of this accessory fissure. The undersurface of the right hemidiaphragm had a diaphragmatic band that extended into the hepatic fissure. The morphometry of the accessory fissure was studied. Retrospective magnetic resonance imaging showed that the middle hepatic vein was to the immediate right of the accessory fissure. Histological examination was done to confirm the presence of muscle tissue in the hypertrophied diaphragmatic band. As the need for surgeries and transplantations of the liver rises, there is a need to understand the hepatic macroscopic anatomy and its radiological correlation.

Keywords

• diaphragmatic bands
• diaphragmatic groove
• magnetic resonance imaging