[Riedel's lobe. Echotomographic aspects]

The acquired or congenital nature of Riedel's lobe, a rare anomaly of hepatic lobulation, is a subject open to controversy. Normally asymptomatic, it presents as a palpable mass in the right hypochondrium leading to possible confusion with an hepatic or a renal tumor. Correct diagnosis can be established by the characteristic findings an ultrasonography. The typical anatomical and clinical features of this hepatic morphological variant are discussed in relation to ultrasound recordings obtained from three patients with a Riedel's lobe.