Enlarged liver diagnosis

Enlarged liver can be detected

In most of cases, a mild enlarged liver and enlarged fatty liver can not be felt by the patients themselves. That causes no symptoms and is often discovered by chance during routine examination - abdominal ultrasound. When the ultrasound examination shows you have a sign of enlarged liver, your doctor may do further medical examinations for you, such as liver function test.

Generally, the ultrasound examination can tell you the liver not only the size enlarged or smaller, but also the echo pattern dense (high, typically described for hepatic fibrosis, cirrhosis) or thin (low, Typically representing fatty liver). Slight changes in the echo is very common, you do not have to worry about.

If indeed there is a liver problem, and that can not be determined by ultrasound, for example, mass on liver, CT scan can further diagnose it. Sometimes, a liver needle biopsy is required for precise diagnosis for the following purposes:

• Tumor or non-neoplastic mass (Tumor: benign or cancer; non-neoplastic mass: liver cyst, abscess)
• Multiple liver cancers or multiple nodules of liver cirrhosis;
• The degree of hepatitis, hepatic fibrosis or liver cirrhosis;

The healthy liver can not be touched below the right rib margin. However, an enlarged liver may be detected by palpation and percussion by doctor.

Can enlarged liver be found by patients themselves

In general, you cannot detect your liver is whether enlarged or not. However, you can feel a liver pain, if your liver is significantly enlarged, or liver inflammation involves its capsule. The liver pain is a chronic, recurrent pain on your upper right abdomen, right lower rib area, right flank or lower right back, mainly described as distending pain, dull pain. This liver pain will encourage you visit your doctor for a liver examination.

See also

1. Enlarged liver symptoms Enlarged liver is a result of various liver diseases, and can be accompanied by abdominal fullness, liver pain, loss of appetite, indigestion, jaundice.
2. Enlarged liver causes
   Alcohol, obesity factor, viruses, liver damage drugs, tumors, liver cancer, abscess, cyst, cholestasis.
3. Fatty liver treatment
   Therapy of enlarged liver depends on the underlying diseases.