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Topic

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Right lobe of liver

The right lobe of the liver is the largest lobe, occupying the right hypochondrium and extending into the epigastrium. It is separated from the left lobe by the falciform ligament on the diaphragmatic surface and by the gallbladder fossa and inferior vena cava on the visceral surface. The right lobe includes the caudate process and quadrate lobe (functionally part of the left lobe in Couinaud’s segmentation). It plays a vital role in metabolism, detoxification, bile production, and nutrient storage.

Synonyms

  • Right hepatic lobe

  • Major right lobe of liver

Function

  • Produces and secretes bile for fat digestion

  • Metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids

  • Detoxification of drugs, toxins, and metabolic by-products

  • Storage of glycogen, vitamins, and minerals

  • Synthesis of plasma proteins such as albumin and clotting factors

Arterial Supply

  • Supplied by the right hepatic artery, a branch of the proper hepatic artery from the common hepatic artery

  • Provides about 25% of blood flow to the right lobe (oxygen-rich)

Venous Drainage

  • Venous blood drains via the right hepatic vein into the inferior vena cava

  • Portal venous inflow comes from the right portal vein branch, delivering about 75% of blood flow (nutrient-rich)

Nerve Supply

  • Parasympathetic innervation: via the vagus nerve (CN X)

  • Sympathetic innervation: from the celiac plexus

  • Provides autonomic regulation of vascular tone, bile secretion, and hepatic metabolism

MRI Appearance

T1-weighted images:

  • Right lobe parenchyma appears intermediate signal intensity

  • Fat-containing lesions (e.g., lipomas, fatty infiltration) appear hyperintense

  • Hemangiomas and cysts appear hypointense relative to liver tissue

T2-weighted images:

  • Normal liver shows intermediate signal intensity

  • Fluid-containing lesions (cysts, abscesses) appear bright hyperintense

  • Fatty infiltration and fibrosis alter signal intensity distribution

STIR (Short Tau Inversion Recovery):

  • Suppresses fat to highlight edema, inflammation, or fluid-based lesions

  • Pathologies (tumors, cysts, abscesses) appear hyperintense relative to liver tissue

T1 Post-Contrast (Gadolinium-enhanced):

  • Homogeneous enhancement of normal liver parenchyma

  • Hypervascular lesions (e.g., hepatocellular carcinoma, focal nodular hyperplasia) show arterial phase enhancement

  • Hypovascular lesions (e.g., metastases, cysts) remain hypointense

CT Appearance

Non-contrast CT:

  • Normal parenchyma appears as homogeneous soft tissue density (slightly higher than spleen)

  • Fatty liver shows hypodense parenchyma

  • Calcifications, gallstones, or dense lesions are easily detected

Contrast-enhanced CT (CECT):

  • Liver enhances homogeneously in the portal venous phase

  • Arterial phase highlights hypervascular lesions

  • Venous and delayed phases show washout in HCC or hypodense appearance of metastases

  • Excellent for evaluating vascular anatomy, hepatic veins, and portal vein branches

MRI images

Right lobe of liver MRI AXIAL IMAGE

CT image

Right lobe of liver CT axial image -img-00000-00000

CT image

Right lobe of the liver ct axial anatomy image-img-00000-00000