OBJECTIVE: To establish the independence of segmentation of the hepatic venous drainage and the relationship among its segments. METHODS: Thirty livers were carefully analyzed in order to exclude any intraparenchymatous injury. A synthetic resin (Resapol T-208) was injected into each one of the hepatic veins (right, middle and left), in different colors, to identify each segment, using the injection-corrosion technique. In each liver the obtained casts were weighed and submitted to planimetry, separately and altogether. RESULTS: The fact that all the livers' casts have independent segments was noticed, and the right segment was the largest one (p=0,005). A coefficient of 0,023 was obtained correlating the weight of the liver with the proportion of its segments. CONCLUSIONS: Hepatic venous segments are independent and the right venous segment is predominant. Furthermore, the weight of a healthy liver is proportional to the size of its segments.
Hepatic Veins; Corrosion casting; Liver
