Which organs are located in the upper left quadrant of the abdomen?

• A. Stomach, spleen, kidney, & pancreas
• B. Liver, gallbladder, stomach, & spleen
• C. Pancreas, kidney, gallbladder, & appendix
• D. Intestines, ureter, bladder, & gonads

Answer: (A)

In the upper left quadrant you find organs tied to the stomach region and left-side structures. The stomach sits under the left side of the rib cage, the spleen lies beneath the left diaphragm, the left kidney sits toward the back on the left, and the pancreas spans across the upper abdomen with its tail near the spleen. Putting those together, the organs in the upper left quadrant are the stomach, spleen, left kidney, and pancreas.

Other options include organs that are primarily on the right side or lower parts of the abdomen (like the liver and gallbladder on the right, or the bladder and gonads in the lower abdomen), which is why they don’t fit the LUQ.