Structure/Morphology
The round ligament, or ligamentum teres, of the liver is a dense ligamentous band of fibrous tissue. It is a remnant of the fetal circulatory system, the umbilical veins.
Key Features/Anatomical Relations
The round ligament of the liver lies in the inferior portion of the falciform ligament. This ligament runs from the deep surface of the umbilicus to the inferior surface of the liver.
Function
The round ligament of the liver is the remnant of the umbilical vein. The umbilical vein carried highly oxygenated blood from the mother’s placenta, through the fetal liver, to the inferior vena cava and heart for systemic distribution.
Following birth, the umbilical vein is no longer functional, and the patent tube eventually turns fibrotic, at which point it’s called the round ligament of the liver.
List of Clinical Correlates
- Portal hypertension
- Portocaval anastomoses
- Cirrhosis
- Caput medusae
