An anatomic variant caudate lobe in a cadaver.

The liver can present a number of congenital anomalies. Most common among them are the irregularities in shape and the number of lobules. Less common variations include presence of accessory lobes or accessory fissures. The accessory lobe may be attached to the liver through a mesentery or a bridge of hepatic tissue and they are usually asymptomatic. An accessory liver lobe though a very rare occurrence but when it exists it becomes clinically important because of its rarity. We are reporting one such case of accessory caudate lobe of liver found during routine dissection of embalmed cadaver of a 60 year old male. It was separated from the caudate lobe by a well-defined fissure. The quadrate lobe and fissure for ligamentum teres were totally absent. Ligamentum teres was found embedded in the substance of the liver on its inferior surface. The presence of additional lobes and fissures or the absence of normal lobes and fissures might lead to confusion during surgery or clinical misdiagnosis. Knowledge and awareness of these anomalies is useful to the clinician to rule out diseases, surgeons during segmental resection of liver and radiologist when interpreting liver radiologic findings.

High division of sciatic nerve.

Background: The Sciatic nerve is the largest and thickest nerve in the human body with a long course in the inferior extremity. It divides into tibial and common peroneal nerves which can occur at any level from the sacral plexus to the inferior part of the popliteal space. Sciatic nerve variations are relatively common. These variations may contribute to clinical conditions ex sciatica, coccygodynia and piriformis syndrome and have important clinical implications in anaesthesiology, neurology, sports medicine and surgery. Methods: 10 cadavers were dissected with no previous history of trauma/surgery to study the anatomical variations of sciatic nerve. Results: In all except two cadavers, the nerve divided at the apex of the popliteal fossa. In two cadavers the sciatic nerve divided bilaterally in the upper part of thigh. Conclusion: The high division presented in this study can make popliteal nerve blocks partially ineffective. The high division of sciatic nerve must always be borne in mind as they have important clinical implications.

Accessory Spleen and Its Clinical Significance.

Spleen can have a wide range of anomalies in its shape, location, number and size. They can be congenital and acquired. Accessory spleen is a common congenital anomaly which is usually asymptomatic but might present clinically as an abdominal mass related to complications such as torsion, spontaneous rupture, haemorrhage and cyst formation Knowledge of splenic variations and anomalies is important to avoid diagnostic pitfalls and misinterpretations.