A rare congenital liver anomaly: Hypoplasia of left hepatic lobe

Morphologic anomalies of liver, as opposed to many other visceral organs, are very rare. Hypoplasia or agenesis of left lobe of the liver is defined as the absence of liver tissue on the left side of liver without previous disease or surgery. It is usually an incidental finding revealed by imaging exams or during abdominal surgery. A 44-year-old female patient was admitted to the hospital for abdominal pain and discomfort. Physical examination revealed no specific abnormality. Routine laboratory tests were normal. Imaging studies showed the absence of the left hepatic lobe. She had no history of surgery, trauma or liver disease and was diagnosed as having congenital hypoplasia of left hepatic lobe. Anomalies of hepatic morphology are due to developmental defects during embryogenesis and are rarely seen. They are generally diagnosed incidentally based on imaging techniques. Early diagnosis of such an anatomical anomaly is necessary for surgical planning, for appropriate evaluation of intraoperative surgical findings, and for the design of the postoperative approach to therapy.