Enlarged Liver

In most cases, an enlarged liver does not produce any symptoms, but symptoms can manifest due to an underlying disease. A few symptoms are mentioned below:

• Pain in the abdomen
• Nausea
• Jaundice
• Fatigue and weakness

As the liver is the centre for various body functions, an alteration in these functions can be due to several diseases, which leads to liver enlargement.

The commonest causes of hepatomegaly include

• Diseases of Liver
  • Amoebic abscess- formation of a pus-filled cavity in the liver due to infection with E. histolytica
  • Hepatitis
  • Cirrhosis
  • Fatty liver
  • Haemochromatosis – excessive iron deposition in the body
  • Liver cysts
  • Haemangiomas of the liver – deformities of the blood vessels of the liver
  • Obstructed gallbladder
  • Amyloidosis
  • Wilson’s disease – excessive copper deposition in the body
• Other Diseases
  • Liver cancer
  • Lymphoma
  • Leukaemia
  • Heart failure
  • Pericarditis
  • Infections, such as malaria and typhoid

Certain investigations mentioned below are required for determining the underlying cause of the disease.

• Blood Tests
  • Complete blood count (CBC)
  • Liver function test
  • Serum protein levels
  • Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E antigen/ antibody levels
• Imaging Studies
  • Sonography of the abdomen
  • Computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan
• Liver Biopsy – It helps in knowing the internal cellular structure of the liver cells (hepatocytes) and confirming the diagnosis

The treatment of hepatomegaly is solely dependent on the cause of enlargement. If the disease is due to infection, antibiotics may be prescribed; in a heart condition, the underlying condition needs to be treated; sometimes it may completely resolve on its own or may require only supportive enzymes. If the enlargement is due to cancer it may require either surgery or chemo-radiation therapy.