Clinical Anatomy of the European Hamster 
datus), including caudate (processus caudatus) and 
papillary processes (processus papillaris); the 
quadrate lobe (lobus quadratus); and a bipartite 
right portion with a right lateral lobe (lobus hepatis 
dexter lateralis) and a right medial lobe (lobus 
hepatis dexter medialis). 
On its convex parietal surface (Jacies diaphrag- 
matica) (Fig. 5-20) the liver is applied to the dia- 
phragm, whose curvature encircles most of the or- 
gan right and left of the midline. To the right of the 
median sagittal plane, the liver lies between the dia- 
phragm and duodenum, the jejunum and the right 
kidney. On the left, it lies between the diaphragm 
and the stomach. The visceral surface (jacies vis- 
ceralis) is only slightly concave (Fig. 5-21) and is 
characterized by deep impressions of the forestom- 
ach, convoluted intestine and kidneys; these im- 
pressions are particularly prominent in formalin- 
fixed animals. The edges of the liver are sharp and 
smooth except for a small area to the left of the dor- 
sal midline, where the blunt edges show an esopha- 
geal impression (impressio oesophagea). 
The left lateral lobe is the largest of the six sep- 
arate hepatic lobes, and constitutes approximately 
Vi of the entire organ. Its diaphragmatic surface is 
bordered laterally by the lateral abdominal wall in 
the xiphoid region (regio xiphoidea). Cranially, 
the left medial lobe is inserted between the left lat- 
eral lobe and the diaphragm; it is overlapped ex- 
tensively by the cranial surface of the former (Fig. 
5-18). The visceral surface exhibits a rather pro- 
nounced impression of the forestomach and glandu- 
lar stomach (impressio gastnca). The left medial 
lobe is smaller than the left lateral lobe and lies 
against the left ventral quadrant of the diaphragm. 
It is bordered medially by the parietal surface of 
the glandular stomach. The left medial lobe is sepa- 
rated from the quadrate lobe by a medial fissure 
(fissura lig. teretis) in which the ligamentum teres 
hepatis lies. A small portion of the left medial lobe 
may project ventrally into the xiphoid region. The 
right medial lobe extends ventrally to the xiphoid 
region, as does the left medial lobe; dorsally its 
cranial surface covers the caudal surface of the 
right lateral lobe. The right lateral lobe, almost as 
large as the right medial lobe, lies far dorsally in 
the intrathoracic part of the abdominal cavity and 
rests against the dorsal right quadrant of the dia- 
phragm. Its dorsal edge is inserted between the 
dorsal abdominal wall and the cranial pole of the 
right kidney, which imposes a renal impression 
(impressio renalis). Its visceral surface is bordered 
dorsally by the right kidney and ventrally by the 
duodenum, which likewise makes an impression. 
The caudate lobe lies dorsal to the hepatic portal 
(porta hepatis), distinct from the right lateral lobe 
(contrary to Kittel [19531), who denied the presence 
of a caudate lobe in the hamster). The papillary 
process is moderately developed, 6 to 9 mm long. It 
extends caudally and lies dextrodorsal to the fore- 
stomach, between the forestomach and the pan- 
creas. The well-developed caudate process is about 
9 mm long and extends to the right abdominal wall 
and sits as a cap at the cranial pole of the right 
kidney. 
The triangular quadrate lobe lies ventral to the 
porta hepatis; it does not reach the ventral edge of 
the liver. On the left, it has a deep indentation in 
which the ligamentum teres lies and which sepa- 
rates it from the left medial lobe. The ligamentum 
teres runs from the interlobular fissure between the 
left medial lobe and the quadrate lobe in a cranial 
direction towards the diaphragm ventral to the xi- 
phoid process and caudoventral to the umbilical 
region. 
The liver is attached on the right and left to the 
diaphragm by two triangular ligaments (ligg. tri- 
angularia), the coronary ligament (Itg. coro- 
narium) and the falciform ligament (lig. falci- 
forme). The left triangular ligament extends from 
the dorsal diaphragmatic edge of the left lateral 
lobe to the diaphragm. The right triangular liga- 
ment originates at the right lateral lobe and ends 
at the right dorsal quadrant of the diaphragm. The 
coronary ligament reaches from the left lateral and 
right medial lobes to the diaphragm, while the falci- 
form ligament connects the right lateral lobe with 
the ventral abdominal wall in the umbilical region. 
The European hamster possesses no gall bladder 
(vesica fellea). The common bile duct (ductus chole- 
dochus) originates from the porta hepatis and dis- 
charges into the duodenum 20 to 25 mm distal to 
the pylorus. 
The liver is enclosed in peritoneum which covers 
the fibrous capsule (capsula fibrosa) of the organ. 
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