Liver Parenchyma
Liver parenchyma is the functional tissue of the liver composed primarily of hepatocytes and hepatic sinusoids. It excludes non-parenchymal structures such as the fibrous stroma, capsule, and biliary/vascular supporting connective tissue framework.
Main Cellular Components
Hepatocytes are the dominant parenchymal cells and are responsible for most liver metabolic, synthetic, and detoxification functions. Hepatic sinusoids are the specialized microvessels that support exchange between blood and hepatocytes and contain non-parenchymal stromal cells such as liver sinusoidal endothelial cells and Kupffer cells.
Typical Imaging/Pathology Meaning
On imaging reports, “liver parenchyma” usually refers to the hepatocyte tissue and its associated microvascular architecture. Abnormalities such as fatty infiltration, hepatocellular injury, fibrosis-related architectural change, or masses are often described as changes in the liver parenchyma.