# Two Ectopic Liver Lobes Discovered Incidentally at an Autopsy: A Case Report

## TL;DR

A rare case of two ectopic liver lobes was found during an autopsy of a man who died from an AIDS-related infection.

## Contribution

This case report documents the first known instance of two ectopic liver lobes discovered during an autopsy.

## Key findings

- Two 1-cm ectopic liver lobes were found anterior to the inferior vena cava.
- The lobes had internal structures resembling the porta hepatis, including bile ducts and blood vessels.
- The patient showed signs of portal venopathy, suggesting abnormal circulatory dynamics.

## Abstract

The ectopic liver lobe is a rare anomaly and is most frequently reported as a solitary mass. Herein, we report a case of multiple (two) ectopic liver lobes detected at an autopsy.

A Japanese man in his 70s died of an infectious disease associated with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Autopsy revealed the incidental finding of two 1-cm masses, located anterior to the inferior vena cava. Both masses were composed of liver tissue and had internal microscopic structures resembling the porta hepatis, consisting of an outflow bile duct and blood vessels. The outflow bile duct appeared to be continuous with the common bile duct, but the connection point of the outflow vessel was unclear. The liver tissue showed fibrous thickening of the central veins and portal venopathy, including fibrosis in the portal area as well as narrowing and loss of the portal veins. There was no evidence of congestion, fibrosis, biliary stasis, or neoplasm.

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma is higher in the ectopic liver lobe than in the proper liver, presumably due to the abnormal circulation and bile excretion pathways. The patient also presented with portal venopathy; this suggests the presence of abnormal circulatory dynamics.