Elongation of the left lobe of the liver is a normal anatomical variant and is also known as a beaver tail liver. It is of no pathological consequence however, sometimes it may have clinical implications. It may contribute to a confusing CT or ultrasound appearance and lead to a misdiagnosis of left lobe hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, perisplenic or subscapular splenic hematoma in a setting of abdominal trauma. It can also be reported as a left lobe or splenic mass when one is unaware of this normal variant ¹.

The use of color Doppler during ultrasonography may assist in identifying normal hepatic and portal vessels and aid in confirming a beaver tail liver and the absence of any splenic pathology ¹.

(In this patient T2 relaxometry confirmed light iron deposition in the spleen and pancreas.)