Table 3 – The Normal Adult Human Liver Biopsy: A Quantitative Reference Standard

table 3. Number of Interlobular Bile Ducts (BD1), Hepatic Arteries, Portal Veins, and Canals of Hering (BD2) per Portal Tract

Structure	Average	Total	Range	95% Confidence Interval

Bile duct (BD1)	2.3 ± 2.2	777	0-22	2.1-2.5
Hepatic artery	2.6 ± 2.3	892	0-13	2.4-2.9
Portal vein	0.7 ± 0.7	241	0-4	0.6-0.5
Canal of Hering (BD2)	0.4 ± 0.7	120	0-4	0.3-0.4
Total profiles	6.5 ± 4.8	2181	2-35	6.0-7.0

NOTE. The numbers of individual profiles per portal tract are shown, along with the total profiles observed per portal tract. The total number of profiles observed also is given, along with the numerical range and 95% confidence intervals of profiles observed per portal tract. As some convoluted portal tracts were cut obliquely, a large numerical range of profiles was encountered.