Hepatomegaly

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Hepatomegaly
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Computerized tomography of affected person with hepatomegaly
Specialty Hepatology   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Symptoms Weight loss, lethargy [1]
CausesLiver abscess (pyogenic abscess), Malaria [1]
Diagnostic method Abdominal ultrasonography [2]
TreatmentPrednisone and azathioprine [3]

Hepatomegaly is enlargement of the liver. [4] It is a non-specific medical sign, having many causes, which can broadly be broken down into infection, hepatic tumours, and metabolic disorder. Often, hepatomegaly presents as an abdominal mass. Depending on the cause, it may sometimes present along with jaundice. [1]

Contents

Signs and symptoms

The patient may experience many symptoms, including weight loss, poor appetite, and lethargy; jaundice and bruising may also be present. [1]

Causes

Leptospirosis Leptospirosis darkfield.jpg
Leptospirosis

Among the causes of hepatomegaly are the following:

Infective

Mechanism

The mechanism of hepatomegaly consists of vascular swelling, inflammation (infectious in origin), and deposition of (1) non-hepatic cells or (2) increased cell contents (such as that due to iron in hemochromatosis or hemosiderosis and fat in fatty liver disease). [15]

Diagnosis

Abdominal ultrasonography of the liver, as a sagittal plane through the midclavicular line, with some standard measurements Liver measurements on ultrasonography.jpg
Abdominal ultrasonography of the liver, as a sagittal plane through the midclavicular line, with some standard measurements
Right lobe of the liver at the midclavicular line at ages 0 to 7 Liver size at the midclavicular line at 0 to 7 years.png
Right lobe of the liver at the midclavicular line at ages 0 to 7

Suspicion of hepatomegaly indicates a thorough medical history and physical examination, wherein the latter typically includes an increased liver span. [ citation needed ]

On abdominal ultrasonography, the liver can be measured by the maximum dimension on a sagittal plane view through the midclavicular line, which is normally up to 18 cm in adults. [2] It is also possible to measure the cranio-caudal dimension, which is normally up to 15 cm in adults. [2] This can be measured together with the ventro-dorsal dimension (or depth), which is normally up to 13 cm. [2] Also, the caudate lobe is enlarged in many diseases. In the axial plane, the caudate lobe should normally have a cross-section of less than 0.55 of the rest of the liver. [2]

Other ultrasound studies have suggested hepatomegaly as being defined as a longitudinal axis > 15.5 cm at the hepatic midline, or > 16.0 cm at the midclavicular line. [17] [18]

Workup

Blood tests should be done, especially liver-function tests, which give a good impression of the patient's broad metabolic picture.[ medical citation needed ]

A complete blood test can help distinguish intrinsic liver disease from extrahepatic bile-duct obstruction. [19] An ultrasound of the liver can reliably detect a dilated biliary-duct system, [20] it can also detect the characteristics of a cirrhotic liver. [21]

Computerized tomography (CT) can give accurate anatomical information for a complete diagnosis. [22]

Treatment

Prednisone Prednisone2.png
Prednisone

Treatment of hepatomegaly varies with the cause, so accurate diagnosis is the first concern. In auto-immune liver disease, prednisone and azathioprine may be used for treatment. [3]

In lymphoma the treatment options include single-agent (or multi-agent) chemotherapy and regional radiotherapy, and surgery is an option in specific situations. Meningococcal group C conjugate vaccine is used in some cases. [23]

In primary biliary cirrhosis, ursodeoxycholic acid helps the bloodstream remove bile, which may increase survival. [24]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hepatitis</span> Inflammation of the liver

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver tissue. Some people or animals with hepatitis have no symptoms, whereas others develop yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice), poor appetite, vomiting, tiredness, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Hepatitis is acute if it resolves within six months, and chronic if it lasts longer than six months. Acute hepatitis can resolve on its own, progress to chronic hepatitis, or (rarely) result in acute liver failure. Chronic hepatitis may progress to scarring of the liver (cirrhosis), liver failure, and liver cancer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaundice</span> Abnormal pigmentation symptom for disease of the liver

Jaundice, also known as icterus, is a yellowish or greenish pigmentation of the skin and sclera due to high bilirubin levels. Jaundice in adults is typically a sign indicating the presence of underlying diseases involving abnormal heme metabolism, liver dysfunction, or biliary-tract obstruction. The prevalence of jaundice in adults is rare, while jaundice in babies is common, with an estimated 80% affected during their first week of life. The most commonly associated symptoms of jaundice are itchiness, pale feces, and dark urine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ascites</span> Abnormal build-up of fluid in the abdomen

Ascites is the abnormal build-up of fluid in the abdomen. Technically, it is more than 25 ml of fluid in the peritoneal cavity, although volumes greater than one liter may occur. Symptoms may include increased abdominal size, increased weight, abdominal discomfort, and shortness of breath. Complications can include spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.

Liver function tests, also referred to as a hepatic panel, are groups of blood tests that provide information about the state of a patient's liver. These tests include prothrombin time (PT/INR), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), albumin, bilirubin, and others. The liver transaminases aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase are useful biomarkers of liver injury in a patient with some degree of intact liver function.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caroli disease</span> Medical condition

Caroli disease is a rare inherited disorder characterized by cystic dilatation of the bile ducts within the liver. There are two patterns of Caroli disease: focal or simple Caroli disease consists of abnormally widened bile ducts affecting an isolated portion of liver. The second form is more diffuse, and when associated with portal hypertension and congenital hepatic fibrosis, is often referred to as "Caroli syndrome". The underlying differences between the two types are not well understood. Caroli disease is also associated with liver failure and polycystic kidney disease. The disease affects about one in 1,000,000 people, with more reported cases of Caroli syndrome than of Caroli disease.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biliary atresia</span> Medical condition

Biliary atresia, also known as extrahepatic ductopenia and progressive obliterative cholangiopathy, is a childhood disease of the liver in which one or more bile ducts are abnormally narrow, blocked, or absent. It can be congenital or acquired. It has an incidence of one in 10,000–15,000 live births in the United States, and a prevalence of one in 16,700 in the British Isles. Biliary atresia is most common in East Asia, with a frequency of one in 5,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Primary biliary cholangitis</span> Autoimmune disease of the liver

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), previously known as primary biliary cirrhosis, is an autoimmune disease of the liver. It results from a slow, progressive destruction of the small bile ducts of the liver, causing bile and other toxins to build up in the liver, a condition called cholestasis. Further slow damage to the liver tissue can lead to scarring, fibrosis, and eventually cirrhosis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portal hypertension</span> Abnormally increased portal venous pressure

Portal hypertension is defined as increased portal venous pressure, with a hepatic venous pressure gradient greater than 5 mmHg. Normal portal pressure is 1–4 mmHg; clinically insignificant portal hypertension is present at portal pressures 5–9 mmHg; clinically significant portal hypertension is present at portal pressures greater than 10 mmHg. The portal vein and its branches supply most of the blood and nutrients from the intestine to the liver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liver disease</span> Medical condition

Liver disease, or hepatic disease, is any of many diseases of the liver. If long-lasting it is termed chronic liver disease. Although the diseases differ in detail, liver diseases often have features in common.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gastrointestinal disease</span> Illnesses of the digestive system

Gastrointestinal diseases refer to diseases involving the gastrointestinal tract, namely the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine and rectum; and the accessory organs of digestion, the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alagille syndrome</span> Medical condition

Alagille syndrome (ALGS) is a genetic disorder that affects primarily the liver and the heart. Problems associated with the disorder generally become evident in infancy or early childhood. The disorder is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern, and the estimated prevalence of Alagille syndrome is 1 in every 30,000 to 1 in every 40,000 live births. It is named after the French pediatrician Daniel Alagille, who first described the condition in 1969. Children with Alagille syndrome live to the age of 18 in about 90% of the cases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cholestasis</span> Medical condition

Cholestasis is a condition where the flow of bile from the liver to the duodenum is impaired. The two basic distinctions are:

Chronic liver disease in the clinical context is a disease process of the liver that involves a process of progressive destruction and regeneration of the liver parenchyma leading to fibrosis and cirrhosis. "Chronic liver disease" refers to disease of the liver which lasts over a period of six months. It consists of a wide range of liver pathologies which include inflammation, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The entire spectrum need not be experienced.

Neonatal cholestasis refers to elevated levels of conjugated bilirubin identified in newborn infants within the first few months of life. Conjugated hyperbilirubinemia is clinically defined as >20% of total serum bilirubin or conjugated bilirubin concentration greater than 1.0 mg/dL regardless of total serum bilirubin concentration. The differential diagnosis for neonatal cholestasis can vary extensively. However, the underlying disease pathology is caused by improper transport and/or defects in excretion of bile from hepatocytes leading to an accumulation of conjugated bilirubin in the body. Generally, symptoms associated with neonatal cholestasis can vary based on the underlying cause of the disease. However, most infants affected will present with jaundice, scleral icterus, failure to thrive, acholic or pale stools, and dark urine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biliary tract</span> Organ system which creates, stores, and transports bile

The biliary tract refers to the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts, and how they work together to make, store and secrete bile. Bile consists of water, electrolytes, bile acids, cholesterol, phospholipids and conjugated bilirubin. Some components are synthesized by hepatocytes ; the rest are extracted from the blood by the liver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gallbladder disease</span> Medical condition

Gallbladder diseases are diseases involving the gallbladder and is closely linked to biliary disease, with the most common cause being gallstones (cholelithiasis).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ischemic hepatitis</span> Medical condition

Ischemic hepatitis, also known as shock liver, is a condition defined as an acute liver injury caused by insufficient blood flow to the liver. The decreased blood flow (perfusion) to the liver is usually due to shock or low blood pressure. However, local causes involving the hepatic artery that supplies oxygen to the liver, such as a blood clot in the hepatic artery, can also cause ischemic hepatitis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cirrhosis</span> Chronic disease of the liver, characterized by fibrosis

Cirrhosis, also known as liver cirrhosis or hepatic cirrhosis, and end-stage liver disease, is a condition of the liver in which the normal functioning tissue, or parenchyma, is replaced with scar tissue (fibrosis) and regenerative nodules as a result of chronic liver disease. Damage to the liver leads to repair of liver tissue and subsequent formation of scar tissue. Over time, scar tissue and nodules of regenerating hepatocytes can replace the parenchyma, causing increased resistance to blood flow in the liver's capillaries—the hepatic sinusoids—and consequently portal hypertension, as well as impairment in other aspects of liver function. The disease typically develops slowly over months or years.

Hyperbilirubinemia is a clinical condition describing an elevation of blood bilirubin level due to the inability to properly metabolise or excrete bilirubin, a product of erythrocytes breakdown. In severe cases, it is manifested as jaundice, the yellowing of tissues like skin and the sclera when excess bilirubin deposits in them. The US records 52,500 jaundice patients annually. By definition, bilirubin concentration of greater than 3 mg/ml is considered hyperbilirubinemia, following which jaundice progressively develops and becomes apparent when plasma levels reach 20 mg/ml. Rather than a disease itself, hyperbilirubinemia is indicative of multifactorial underlying disorders that trace back to deviations from regular bilirubin metabolism. Diagnosis of hyperbilirubinemia depends on physical examination, urinalysis, serum tests, medical history and imaging to identify the cause. Genetic diseases, alcohol, pregnancy and hepatitis viruses affect the likelihood of hyperbilirubinemia. Causes of hyperbilirubinemia mainly arise from the liver. These include haemolytic anaemias, enzymatic disorders, liver damage and gallstones. Hyperbilirubinemia itself is often benign. Only in extreme cases does kernicterus, a type of brain injury, occur. Therapy for adult hyperbilirubinemia targets the underlying diseases but patients with jaundice often have poor outcomes.

References

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Further reading