Glisson

Glisson is a surname that appears in medical and anatomical literature, most notably in connection with Glisson's capsule. The term honors Franciscus (Francis) Glisson, a 16th- to 17th-century English physician and anatomist who described the liver’s investing tissue.

Glisson's capsule refers to the fibrous envelope that surrounds the liver. It is formed from visceral peritoneum and surrounding connective tissue, lying on the surface of the liver and continuing into it as septa that extend between the liver lobes. Within the liver, this capsule forms a connective tissue framework around the portal triads, which consist of the hepatic artery, portal vein, and bile duct. At the porta hepatis, the capsule thickens to create the Glissonian sheath, a fibrous covering around these vessels and ducts as they penetrate the liver.

In clinical and surgical anatomy, the Glissonian sheath is a reference point for segmental liver dissection and pedicle approach techniques used in hepatic surgery. The capsule’s continuity with the peritoneum and its relationship to the liver’s vascular and biliary structures make it relevant in imaging, trauma assessment, and procedures involving the hepatic hilum.

Beyond anatomy, Glisson remains a surname associated with various individuals in science and medicine. In anatomical literature, however, the most enduring association is with Glisson's capsule and its role in the structure and vascular organization of the liver.