Practical usefulness of minor grooves of the hepatic surface for liver resection.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The clinical relevance of grooves of the hepatic surface has not been clearly identified. The aim of the present study was to examine the association of minor grooves and liver segmentations, and to evaluate the usefulness of grooves for liver resection.

METHODOLOGY: Between January 2005 and December 2010, 482 patients with hepatic resection for liver disease were included in this study. We performed glissonean pedicle transection methods for hepatic resection to identify sectors or segments of the liver and examined location, size, depth and relationship with intersegmental line of the hepatic grooves.

RESULTS: Diaphragmatic grooves were located on anatomical border between right lobe and left lobe and within right anterior sector. The minor grooves were more commonly observed in the right lobe than in the left lobe. The minor grooves between segment V and VI, and segment V and VI were easy to perform monosegmentectomy and right anterior sectionectomy on, respectively. These minor grooves were also helpful to determine the resection margin for non-anatomical resection.

CONCLUSIONS: Minor grooves were often observed in line with sector or segment, or near to inter-segmental or sectorial border. The anatomical knowledge of hepatic grooves including minor type may be of help for hepatobiliary surgeons and radiologists to understand liver segmentation.