Accessory Hepatic Lobe-A ‘not so Rare’ Entity

Introduction: Accessory Hepatic Lobe (AHL) is an uncommon developmental anomaly usually asymptomatic and reported as an incidental finding on cross-sectional imaging, laparotomy or autopsy. With increasing number of cases undergoing cross-sectional imaging the detection rate of AHL has increased. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the incidence and describe the imaging features of AHL using Computed Tomography. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of CT images of patients who underwent abdominal CT for diverse clinical indications was undertaken for detection of accessory hepatic tissue within the abdomen and pelvis and the data so obtained was analysed. One thousand abdominal CT-scans were retrospectively reviewed for the presence of AHL and when identified, were further characterized based on their location, volume and blood supply, wherever possible using existing set of images. Results: A total of seven cases with AHLs were detected during review of 1000 case studies, with an incidence of 0.7% in our study group. All AHLs were perihepatic in location. Five of the accessory lobes were connected to the left lobe of liver by a band of hepatic tissue or a vascular pedicle and two AHLs were seen arising from the caudate lobe. Conclusion: AHL is not as uncommon an entity as was earlier believed. Awareness regarding this entity and its clinical significance is important in order to be able to identify and manage complications arising from it.