The occurrence of an additional (accessory) lobe of liver and undescended testis in a single cadaver: a case report

Anatomical variations are common, some of these variations are clinically important and some are not. These variations may require treatment or they may be a variant of a normal presentation. In clinical practices, anatomical variations should not be overlooked. Anatomical variations may cause a tendency to some diseases, and may affect the symptoms, diagnosis and the course of disease. The main objective of this case report is to present the occurrence of two variations observed in a single cadaver. Even though there are reports of individual cases, these combined variations have not been reported before. There is also no evidence of developmental (embryological) circumstances for the liver anomaly to be associated with an undescended testis (cryptorchidism) and vice versa; therefore, this case is, by far, a coincidence.

The two anatomical variations were noticed in an unclaimed male cadaver used for routine teaching and learning purposes. The Amhara male cadaver was approximate 41-year-old and his clinical history, family history, and other details were unknown. In the first incident, unusually the cadaver’s liver consisted of one additional (accessory) lobe situated on the visceral surface of the liver. In the second incident, an undescended testis was observed on the right side near to the superficial inguinal ring.

Overall, knowledge of the above-mentioned anatomical variations has clinical significance to students, researchers, clinicians, surgeons, and radiologists who interpret plain and computed imaging.