Persistent impairment of liver function caused by a pendulated accessory liver lobe.

A large pendulated accessory liver lobe and complete absence of the left lobe were discovered by liver scintigraphy and ultrasound scanning in a patient suspected of having an ovarian tumor. The patient had a history of fluctuating impaired liver function tests for many years, probably caused by intermittent torsion of the peduncle. Pedunculated accessory liver lobes are extremely rare and seldom diagnosed in vivo. Our patient seems to be the 11th published case, and the only 1 in which longstanding fluctuating impaired liver function tests have been observed.