Five Cases of Resected Ectopic Liver

Yoshikazu Akura, Kenichi Sakagami, Takamasa Matsumoto, Shigemichi Iha, Shinya Saito, Takuzo Fujiwara

Department of Surgery, South Kurashiki Hospital, Center for Adult Diseases, Kurashiki

Five cases of ectopic liver, a rare liver anomaly, are reported with the clinicopathological findings. The patients ranged from 34 to 65 years of age; 2 were male and 3 were female. All were asymptomatic, and the condition was found incidentally during surgery for gallbladder stone or early gastric cancer. The location was around the gallbladder in 4 cases and at the hepatoduodenal ligament in 1 case. In every case only one ectopic liver was found, and the sizes ranged from 7 to 17 mm. Pathologically, the liver tissue was normal in al cases and possessed Glisson's sheath and central vein and showed stricture of the hepatic lobule. Ectopic liver is encountered incidentally during surgery, autopsy, or laparoscopy, and seldom shows clinical symptoms. Most are located around the liver, especially around the gallbladder, and are generally singular and less than 5 cm in size. Pathologically, many cases show normal liver tissue that possessed hepatic lobule. More cases will be found by precise intraoperative research and with the progress of imaging diagnosis.

Key words
ectopic liver, liver anomaly

Reprint requests
Yoshikazu Akura Center for Adult Diseases, Kurashiki
250 Bakuro-cho, Kurashiki, 710 JAPAN

Accepted
May 11, 1993

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