Which organs are primarily located in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen?

• A. Spleen, stomach, majority of pancreas
• B. Liver, right kidney, colon, portion of pancreas, gallbladder
• C. Left kidney, a portion of small intestines
• D. Left lobe of liver and spleen

Answer: (B)

In the right upper quadrant, the liver dominates the space. The gallbladder sits beneath the liver, and the right kidney lies behind the peritoneum in that area. The hepatic flexure of the colon and part of the ascending colon are also in this region, and a portion of the head of the pancreas lies near the duodenum on the right side. So the combination of liver, gallbladder, right kidney, colon (hepatic flexure/ascending), and part of the pancreas fits best with the right upper quadrant.

Spleen and stomach are primarily on the left side, and the left kidney is mainly located in the left upper quadrant. The left lobe of the liver is more toward the left, so it doesn’t define the RUQ.