Bare area of the liver

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Bare area of the liver
Gray1035.png
Vertical disposition of the peritoneum. Main cavity, red; omental bursa, blue (bare area of the liver labeled at right, second from the top)
Gray1087-liver.png
The liver, as seen from behind. The bare area is visible on the upper-right, labeled as "nonperitoneal surface".
Details
Part of Liver
Identifiers
Latin area nuda hepatis
FMA 14480
Anatomical terminology

The bare area of the liver (nonperitoneal area) is a large triangular area on the posterior diaphragmatic surface of the liver. It is the only part of the liver with no peritoneal covering, although it is still covered by Glisson's capsule. It is attached directly to the diaphragm by loose connective tissue. The bare area of the liver is relevant to the portacaval anastomosis, encloses the right extraperitoneal subphrenic space, and can be a site of spread of infection from the abdominal cavity to the thoracic cavity. Traumatic injury of the bare area of the liver may result in retroperitoneal hemorrhage.

Contents

Structure

The bare area of the liver is found on the posterosuperior surface of the right lobe of the liver. [1] This lies close to the thoracic diaphragm. It is the only part of the liver that has no peritoneal covering. [1] [2] It lies between the two layers of the coronary ligament, as well as the right triangular ligament. [1] The coronary ligament represents reflections of the visceral peritoneum covering the liver onto the diaphragm. [3]

The bare area of the liver is attached to the thoracic diaphragm by loose connective tissue. [4] It touches the bottom surface of the diaphragm. [2] It is also not covered in capsule. [5]

Clinical significance

The bare area of the liver is clinically important because of the portacaval anastomosis. It is a site where infection can spread from the abdominal cavity to the thoracic cavity. Traumatic injury involving the bare area of the liver can result in retroperitoneal hemorrhage as this region is not covered by visceral peritoneum. [6] It encloses the right extraperitoneal subphrenic space.

History

The bare area of the liver may also be known as the nonperitoneal area.[ citation needed ]

References

PD-icon.svgThis article incorporates text in the public domain from page 1150 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

  1. 1 2 3 Mahadevan, Vishy (2020-08-01). "Anatomy of the liver" . Surgery (Oxford). 38 (8): 427–431. doi:10.1016/j.mpsur.2014.10.004. ISSN   0263-9319. S2CID   71059658.
  2. 1 2 Mitchell, Barry; Sharma, Ram (2009). "7 - The digestive system". Embryology (2nd ed.). Churchill Livingstone. pp. 41–48. doi:10.1016/B978-0-7020-3225-7.50010-5. ISBN   978-0-7020-3225-7.
  3. ↑ Abdel-Misih, Sherif R. Z.; Bloomston, Mark (August 2010). "Liver Anatomy". The Surgical Clinics of North America. 90 (4): 643–653. doi:10.1016/j.suc.2010.04.017. ISSN   0039-6109. PMC   4038911 . PMID   20637938.
  4. ↑ Abdel-Misih, Sherif R. Z.; Bloomston, Mark (August 2010). "Liver Anatomy". Surgical Clinics of North America. 90 (4): 643–653. doi:10.1016/j.suc.2010.04.017. PMC   4038911 . PMID   20637938.
  5. ↑ Bolender, David L.; Kaplan, Stanley (2017). "3 - Basic Embryology". Fetal and Neonatal Physiology. Vol. 1 (5th ed.). Elsevier. pp. 23–39. doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-35214-7.00003-2. ISBN   978-0-323-35214-7.
  6. ↑ "Traumatic laceration of the liver limited to the bare area: CT findings in 25 patients". AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1993. doi:10.2214/ajr.160.5.8470569. PMID   8470569.

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