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 Tumour s, or
Metabolic Disorder . Often, hepatomegaly will present as an
Abdominal Mass . Depending on the cause, it may sometimes present along with
Jaundice .
After a thorough
Medical History and
Physical Examination ,
Blood Test s should be drawn. An important series of blood tests are the
Liver Function Test s, which 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
Parenchyma l 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
Cyst s,
Abscess es and tumours.
Computed Tomography (CT) can help obtain more accurate
Anatomical information, and is unaffected by the
Obesity or the presence of
Bowel Gas es.
