Which quadrant describes the location of the stomach, spleen, part of the pancreas, part of the liver, and portions of the small and large intestines?

• A. Left upper quadrant
• B. Right upper quadrant
• C. Left lower quadrant
• D. Right lower quadrant

Answer: (A)

Abdominal quadrants divide the belly into four sections around the navel, so the left upper quadrant is the area on the left side above the navel. This quadrant houses the stomach and spleen, the body and tail of the pancreas, and part of the liver (the left lobe). It also contains portions of the small intestine and the large intestine, such as parts of the transverse colon and nearby loops of bowel. Knowing where major organs sit helps you map them to the correct quadrant: the liver is mainly on the right, the gallbladder sits under it, the appendix is in the right lower quadrant, and the sigmoid colon sits in the left lower quadrant.