Morison’s Pouch
Other known aliases – hepatorenal recess/fossa, right posterior subhepatic space
Definition – a potential space between the liver and the right kidney
Clinical Significance – This a space where fluid can accumulate in the setting of ascites or abdominal trauma and be seen on CT or ultrasound. It is one of the view of a Focused Assessment of Sonography in Trauma (FAST) exam. Typically, 30-40mL of fluid needs to be present to be visualized.
History – Named after James Rutherford Morison (1853-1939), a British surgeon who received his medical degree from the University of Edinburgh in 1874. He was also an assistant and “surgical dresser” for Joseph Lister early in his career and later founded a school of surgery at the University of Durham where he made his name as a prolific instructor of surgery. He is well known as a pioneer of modern surgery with several of his contemporaries noting he was twenty years ahead of his time and was a driving force of he surgical arts in Great Britain at the turn of the 20th century.
References
- Firkin BG and Whitwirth JA. Dictionary of Medical Eponyms. 2nd ed. New York, NY; Parthenon Publishing Group. 1996.
- Bartolucci S, Forbis P. Stedman’s Medical Eponyms. 2nd ed. Baltimore, MD; LWW. 2005.
- Yee AJ, Pfiffner P. (2012). Medical Eponyms (Version 1.4.2) [Mobile Application Software]. Retrieved http://itunes.apple.com.
- Whonamedit – dictionary of medical eponyms. http://www.whonamedit.com
- Up To Date. www.uptodate.com
- http://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/biogs/E004690b.htm
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