What is lig. teres hepatis?

The ligamentum teres hepatis, also known as the round ligament of the liver, is a fibrous band that runs within the fossa of the umbilical vein on the inferior surface of the liver. It represents the obliterated umbilical vein that carried oxygenated blood from the placenta to the fetus during fetal development.

After birth, the umbilical vein undergoes thrombosis and ultimately becomes fibrous and forms the ligamentum teres hepatis. The ligament has no significant functional role in adults, but it serves as a landmark in various surgical procedures, such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

In some rare cases, the ligament may become enlarged and develop into a benign tumor called a fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma. Therefore, changes or abnormalities in the ligament are important to note in medical diagnoses and interventions.