Which structure separates the right and left lobes of the liver on the surface?

Which structure separates the right and left lobes of the liver on the surface?

• A. Cantlie line
• B. Falciform ligament
• C. Main lobar fissure
• D. Portal triad

Answer: (C)

The boundary between the liver’s right and left lobes on the visceral (surface) side is marked by a deep groove called the main lobar fissure. This fissure runs from the porta hepatis to the fossa of the gallbladder and serves as the clear dividing line between the two lobes when you view the liver from its underside, making it a key surface landmark for orientation in imaging. In contrast, the falciform ligament is a peritoneal fold seen on the anterior surface that divides the lobes there, but it’s not the primary reference for lobe separation on the surface accessed in ultrasound. The Cantlie line is a surgical/functional division along the middle hepatic vein rather than a distinct surface groove, and the portal triad refers to the vessels and ducts at the hilum rather than a dividing landmark of the lobes. Therefore, the main lobar fissure best fits the description of separating the right and left lobes on the surface.

The boundary between the liver’s right and left lobes on the visceral (surface) side is marked by a deep groove called the main lobar fissure. This fissure runs from the porta hepatis to the fossa of the gallbladder and serves as the clear dividing line between the two lobes when you view the liver from its underside, making it a key surface landmark for orientation in imaging. In contrast, the falciform ligament is a peritoneal fold seen on the anterior surface that divides the lobes there, but it’s not the primary reference for lobe separation on the surface accessed in ultrasound. The Cantlie line is a surgical/functional division along the middle hepatic vein rather than a distinct surface groove, and the portal triad refers to the vessels and ducts at the hilum rather than a dividing landmark of the lobes. Therefore, the main lobar fissure best fits the description of separating the right and left lobes on the surface.