Unusual Elongated Left Lobe of the Liver: A Cadaveric Case Report

An elongated left lobe of the liver is a prolongation of normal hepatic tissue reaching the left quadrant, sometimes encircling the spleen. Usually, it is asymptomatic, but in trauma to the upper left abdomen, this part of the liver is likely to get injured, mimicking splenic injury, as liver tissue and spleen possess the same echogenicity and density on sonography and computed tomography. In addition, it may be mistaken for mass or blood collection on imagery, leading to misdiagnosis and mismanagement. We present a case of an elongated left lobe of the liver touching the spleen and then passing upward obliquely, reaching the diaphragm. This anomaly was observed in a male cadaver of 60 years during routine teaching of the abdominal cavity for undergraduate medical students. The information will be useful in avoiding misunderstanding during the reading of ultrasound and computed tomography for abdominal traumas in the left hypochondrium.