Can your liver be enlarged for no reason?
An enlarged liver can have many possible causes. An enlarged liver is one that’s bigger than normal. The medical term is hepatomegaly (hep-uh-toe-MEG-uh-le). Rather than a disease, an enlarged liver is a sign of an underlying problem, such as liver disease, congestive heart failure or cancer.
Can liver disease be missed?
However, acquired liver diseases frequently have no or few symptoms in the early stages, so they can be easily missed. This is the reason why liver disease is often only diagnosed when the condition is already serious, or even irreversible.
What causes sudden liver enlargement?
Enlarged liver is usually caused by liver disorders related to excessive alcohol use, congestive heart failure, glycogen storage disease, viral hepatitis, liver cancer, cirrhosis, and steatosis (fat in the liver).
Can an enlarged liver go back to normal size?
If you donate a portion of your liver, it will regenerate to its original size. The transplanted portion will also grow. If you have an enlarged liver, it could mean that you have: a liver disease.
What happens if the size of liver increased?
An enlarged liver is swollen beyond its normal size. Possible causes include cancer and excessive alcohol consumption. Symptoms, when they appear, include jaundice (yellowing of the skin) and pain in the upper abdomen. Treatment depends on what is causing the liver enlargement.
Can a CT scan Miss liver disease?
A CT scan “has been shown to have a sensitivity of 84% and a specificity of approximately 100% for the detection of cirrhosis” (Fidler, 1999).
Can an ultrasound Miss liver disease?
Seventeen patients had ultrasonographic diagnosis of cirrhosis but only six cases were proven by a liver biopsy. On the other hand, 10/16 cases of biopsy-proven cirrhosis were “missed” by ultrasound. Thus, the sensitivity of ultrasonography in diagnosing cirrhosis was 37.5% and the specificity was 84.7%.
Is 18 cm big for a liver?
By percussion, the mean liver size is 7 cm for women and 10.5 cm for men (Table 94.1). A liver span 2 to 3 cm larger or smaller than these values is considered abnormal. The liver weighs 1200 to 1400 g in the adult woman and 1400 to 1500 g in the adult man.
Which scan is best for liver?
CT scans of the liver and biliary tract (the liver, gallbladder, and bile ducts) can provide more detailed information about the liver, gallbladder, and related structures than standard X-rays of the abdomen, thus providing more information related to injuries and/or diseases of the liver and biliary tract.
What does it mean when your liver is enlarged?
What is an enlarged liver? The liver is an essential organ in many of the body’s functions. An enlarged liver (hepatomegaly) is swollen beyond its normal size for any reason. An enlarged liver is a symptom of an underlying problem, but is not a disease itself.
What can cause an enlarged liver and spleen?
An enlarged liver may be a sign of a wide range of diseases. Although diseases of the liver itself often cause an enlarged liver, there are many other possible causes, including: Bacteria, viruses and parasites
What causes a person to have liver problems?
Liver problems Liver problems that can occur include fatty liver disease and cirrhosis. The liver and its cells — as seen through a microscope — change dramatically when a normal liver becomes fatty or cirrhotic. Liver disease can be inherited (genetic) or caused by a variety of factors that damage the liver, such as viruses and alcohol use.
What are the symptoms of enlarged liver and hepatomegaly?
Hepatomegaly Symptoms Most of the time, if you have a slightly enlarged liver, you won’t notice any symptoms. If it’s severely swollen, you may have: A feeling of fullness