Hepatomegaly Information
Hepatomegaly is the condition of having an enlarged liver. It is a nonspecific medical sign having many causes, which can broadly be broken down into infection, direct toxicity, hepatic tumours, or metabolic disorder. Often, hepatomegaly will present as an abdominal mass. Depending on the cause, it may sometimes present along with jaundice.
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Diagnosis
After a thorough medical history and physical examination, blood tests should be done — importantly, the liver-function series, which will give a good impression of the patient's broad metabolic picture.
An ultrasound of the liver can reliably detect a dilated biliary-duct system, which helps distinguish parenchymal liver disease from extrahepatic bile-duct obstruction. Ultrasound can also detect the characteristic texture of a cirrhotic liver, and can guide fine-needle aspiration of cysts, abscesses and tumours.
Computed tomography (CT) can help obtain more accurate anatomical information, and is unaffected by obesity or the presence of bowel gases.
Common Causes
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Infective
- Glandular fever (Infectious mononucleosis) This is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). A similar condition (pseudoglandular fever) may be caused by the Cytomegalo virus (CMV).
- Hepatitis (Although not all hepatitis viruses cause hepatomegaly)
- Liver abscess (pyogenic abscess and amoebic abscess)
- Malaria
- Amoeba infections
- Hydatid cyst
- Leptospirosis
- Actinomycosis
Neoplastic
- Metastatic tumours secondary to spread from cancer in other organs (most common)
- Hemangiomas
- Hepatocellular carcinoma
- Myeloma
- Leukemia
- Lymphoma
- carcinoma
Cirrhotic
- Portal
- Biliary
- Cardio
- Haemochromatosis
Metabolic
Drugs and Toxins
- alcoholism
- poisoning
Congenital
- Hemolytic anemia
- Riedel's lobe is an extended, tongue-like, right lobe of the liver. It is not pathological; it is a normal anatomical variant and may extend into the pelvis. It is often mistaken for a distended gall bladder or liver tumour.
- Polycystic disease
- Cori's disease
Others
- Hunter syndrome
- Zellweger's syndrome
- Carnitine palmitoyltransferase I deficiency
- Right ventricular failure
- Granulomatous: Sarcoidosis
- Glycogen storage disease type II
See also
External links
- National Institute of Health's Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia: Hepatomegaly
- Merck Manual: Hepatomegaly
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Categories: Medical signs | Hepatology | Symptoms and signs: Digestive system and abdomen
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