Ultrasonographic anatomy of the liver

Two characteristics of the ultrasonic image, that it is rebuilt and non figurative in its details, led us to establish specific relationships between anatomic structures and their ultrasonic images. The anatomic study was made on fresh, injected, frozen, livers, sectioned along the classical echographic planes. The echographic study was conducted in healthy patients, without any hepatic lesions. The results fall under three heads: analysis of the basic structures (portal vein, hepatic vein, and bile ducts) enables to establish perfect relationship between the anatomic and echographic features; the echo-anatomic study of the echographic planes pertaining to percutaneous examination of the liver provides a satisfactory correlation between the anatomy and the ultrasonogram; analysis of the hepatic vascular arrangement enables to define a sectorial systematization of liver structure. Segmental systematization of the right side of the liver is more difficult to define because of the virtual limits of the upper and lower segments of the right paramedian and lateral sectors. This study leads to better echographic understanding of the liver and to a tentative systematization essential to the localization of focal hepatic lesions.