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The location of perianal abscesses and the course of the fistula follow certain patterns, especially in the relationship between external and internal openings. However, it is still not clear how the contents of the ischioanal fossa, especially the fibrous network of fat tissue, affect the route for such diseases. Ten male adult cadavers were selected for the study. Seven horizontal transverse section planes from 1 cm above the pubic symphysis to the inferior border of the lesser trochanter of the femur were recorded after P45 sheet plastination. We observed characteristics of fiber distribution in the ischioanal fossa and its relationship with surrounding structures in every plane. There was a dense strip-type fiber connecting with junction fascia between the obturator internus and gluteus maximus muscles. Close to the levator ani, obturator internus, and gluteus maximus, the fibers were very dense and continuous with the fascia on the surfaces of these three muscles. The function of the fibrous network was considered to be not only the support of fat tissue in the fossa but also cushioning during physiological actions such as defecation. We hope that these morphological results could help to elucidate the passage of fistulae and the locations susceptible to perianal abscesses. Clin. Anat. 30:1029-1033, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The aim of this study is to explore the inconsistencies between right liver volume as measured by imaging and the actual anatomical appearance of the right lobe. Five healthy donated livers were studied. The liver slices were obtained with hepatic segments multicolor-infused through the portal vein. In the slices, the lobes were divided by two methods: radiological landmarks and real anatomical boundaries. The areas of the right anterior lobe (RAL) and right posterior lobe (RPL) on each slice were measured using Photoshop CS5 and AutoCAD, and the volumes of the two lobes were calculated. There was no statistically significant difference between the volumes of the RAL or RPL as measured by the radiological landmarks (RL) and anatomical boundaries (AB) methods. However, the curves of the square error value of the RAL and RPL measured using CT showed that the three lowest points were at the cranial, intermediate, and caudal levels. The U- or V-shaped curves of the square error rate of the RAL and RPL revealed that the lowest value is at the intermediate level and the highest at the cranial and caudal levels. On CT images, less accurate landmarks were used to divide the RAL and RPL at the cranial and caudal layers. The measured volumes of hepatic segments VIII and VI would be less than their true values, and the measured volumes of hepatic segments VII and V would be greater than their true values, according to radiological landmarks. Clin. Anat., 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

To compare the areas of human liver horizontal sections with computed tomography (CT) images and to evaluate whether the subsegments determined by CT are consistent with the actual anatomy. Six human cadaver livers were made into horizontal slices with multislice spiral CT three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction was used during infusion process. Each liver segment was displayed using different color, and 3D images of the portal and hepatic vein were reconstructed. Each segmental area was measured on CT-reconstructed images, which were compared with the actual area on the sections of the same liver. The measurements were performed at four key levels namely: (1) the three hepatic veins, (2) the left, and (3) the right branch of portal vein (PV), and (4) caudal to the bifurcation of the PV. By dividing the sum of these areas by the total area of the liver, the authors got the percentage of the incorrectly determined subsegmental areas. In addition to these percentage values, the maximum distances of the radiologically determined intersegmental boundaries from the true anatomic boundaries were measured. On the four key levels, an average of 28.64 ± 10.26% of the hepatic area of CT images was attributed to an incorrect segment. The mean-maximum error between artificial segments on images and actual anatomical segments was 3.81 ± 1.37 cm. The correlation between radiological segmenting method and actual anatomy was poor. The hepatic segments being divided strictly according to the branching point of the PV could be more informative during liver segmental resection. Clin. Anat. 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

With the development of hepatic surgery and radiology, a more accurate understanding of intrahepatic vessels and hepatic segments is necessary. Previously, research in these fields was primarily by means of dissecting livers, preparing corrosion cast specimens, reconstructing three-dimensional MSCT images of intrahepatic vessels, and so on. The aim of this study was to search for a new specimen preparing method, which could demonstrate intrahepatic vessels and the relationships between internal vessels and external structures of liver simultaneously. Rabbit livers were prepared with three different techniques in this study: (a) corrosion-cast technique; (b) transparency technique; and (c) combination technique of cast and transparency. The results showed that the combination of casting and transparent liver specimens in group C could demonstrate both the intrahepatic vessels and the external structures clearly. The relationships between the internal vessels and external structures could also be observed clearly. In conclusion, the combination method for preparing casting and transparent liver specimen created a new approach for the research of intrahepatic vessels, especially for applied basic research of hepatic segments.