Enlarged liver

Table of Contents:

  1. What is enlarged liver?
  2. Prognosis of the disease
  3. Symptoms
  4. Medical tests
  5. What causes it?
  6. Can it be prevented?
  7. Treatment
  8. Medical specialist

What is enlarged liver?

An enlarged liver or hepatomegaly is caused by an inflammation that makes the organ larger than normal, and is a symptom of various liver diseases. Thus, having an enlarged liver is a sign of disease, and will usually be accompanied by other symptoms.

The liver is, in fact, the largest internal organ of the body. Located in the upper right part of the abdomen, it usually weighs from 1 kg to 1.5 kg and is about 15 cm wide.

Prognosis of the disease

An enlarged liver can be a sign of multiple diseases, some of them very serious such as some types of leukemia, cancer or heart problems, or less serious such as the action of a virus or bacteria.

For this reason, it is important to see a digestive specialist or general surgeon as soon as symptoms of liver disease or liver enlargement appear.

Liver enlargement is a symptom of various diseases and is often accompanied by other symptoms.

Symptoms of an enlarged liver

The enlarged liver itself does not usually present symptoms, but is often accompanied by other symptoms that involve the causative disease.

Thus, in many cases the enlarged liver goes unnoticed for a while, until the patient goes to the specialist for discomfort caused by the other symptoms he/she suffers.

Thus, the symptoms that normally accompany liver enlargement are:

  • Tiredness or fatigue
  • Pain in the right upper abdomen
  • Nausea and loss of appetite
  • Myalgia — muscle aches
  • Jaundice — yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes

Medical tests for enlarged liver

The diagnosis by the specialist digestologist passes first of all by a physical examination, in which the doctor will try to palpate the inflamed liver by pressing on the right side of the belly. By palpating the lower edge of the liver, they can get an initial idea of its size and hardness: depending on the cause, the enlarged liver may present a soft, firm or irregular inflammation or with defined nodules.

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To determine the diagnosis, an abdominal ultrasound is usually performed to obtain images of the state of the liver. If necessary, the specialist may opt for a computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan to obtain these images in more detail.

Once the diagnosis of an enlarged liver is determined, additional more specific tests may be performed to determine the cause, such as clinical tests to assess liver enzyme levels and the presence of viruses such as hepatitis, magnetic resonance elastography to assess liver tissue stiffness, or finally a liver tissue biopsy.

What are the causes of an enlarged liver?

The causes that can lead to an enlarged liver are multiple and of varying severity, as well as affecting various internal structures.

The main liver diseases that cause enlarged liver are:

  • Alcoholic hepatitis
  • Cirrhosis
  • Fatty liver
  • Hepatitis
  • Liver cancer
  • Liver damage due to certain medications
  • Toxic hepatitis due to exposure to toxins
  • Amyloidosis
  • Primary sclerosing cholangitis

On the other hand, the main diseases that cause enlarged liver and have their origin in other organs or internal structures are:

  • Some types of leukemia
  • Multiple myeloma
  • Lymphoma
  • Genetic diseases
  • Congestive heart failure
  • Mitral and tricuspid valve stenosis
  • Parasitic and bacterial infections

Can it be prevented?

The way to prevent enlarged liver is to prevent liver disease and its main risk factors. Thus, the steps to be taken are:

  • Avoid excessive alcohol consumption
  • Eat a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables and cereals.
  • Avoid large doses of medications and vitamin supplements.
  • Avoid exposure to toxins and chemicals.
  • Maintaining a healthy weight
  • Avoiding certain medicinal herbs such as mistletoe, comfrey or Ma Huang.

Treatments for enlarged liver

Treatment for an enlarged liver will vary depending on the disease causing it, and in many cases, it will subside with a change to healthy habits and restriction of alcohol consumption.

What specialist treats it?

The specialist in liver disease is the gastroenterologist, who will determine the diagnosis of the enlarged liver. Due to the multiplicity of causes of liver enlargement, it is likely that the patient will be referred to another specialist because of the pathology that causes it.