Hepatomegaly is diagnosed by what medical technique?

An enlarged liver is usually easily detected if people have regular checkups and general tests. Your doctor will review your medical history and physical exam to look for risk factors for liver disease. At the same time, other valuable signs and symptoms may also reveal the cause of hepatomegaly. In many cases, the cause of hepatomegaly can be clearly identified from a long medical history.
There are many medical techniques that can be used to confirm hepatomegaly. A quantitative blood test for liver enzymes is the leading universal way to determine if hepatitis is ongoing. The combination of both imaging and targeted blood tests provides some insight into why the liver is enlarged.
In cases where imaging tests are needed, liver ultrasound is always the first tool indicated. This technique uses the principle of sound waves to create images of the organs in the abdomen. During the procedure, the sonographer places a device on the surface of the skin, called a transducer, that both transmits and receives sound waves. From there, the acquired images will appear on the screen, allowing the doctor to measure the size of the liver, assess the structure and elasticity of liver tissue as well as damage in the liver if any or nearby organs. Liver ultrasound is completely painless, non-invasive, simple to perform, quickly and inexpensively.
When unexplained lesions are suspected on ultrasound of the liver, the doctor may order additional imaging tests to examine the liver in more detail and complexity, including computed tomography. abdominal cavity or magnetic resonance imaging of the abdomen to examine the liver.
The above tools are all non-invasive medical techniques. Conversely, sometimes patients need invasive testing depending on the results of blood tests and specialized imaging tools. These are cases of hepatomegaly with lesions accompanied by the presence of fluid in the abdomen. At this time, the doctor may appoint laparoscopy, partly to collect fluid for analysis, partly to remove the amount of decompression fluid if it is too much. This procedure can be done at the bedside under local anesthesia.
In addition, in some critical cases, a liver biopsy will be required to reach a final diagnosis. A biopsy is also an invasive procedure in the abdomen in which a small amount of liver parenchyma is removed for microscopic examination. Like a laparoscopic procedure, a liver biopsy is often done at the bedside, using a local anesthetic, inserting a fine needle into the liver through the skin, and removing a small piece of tissue. However, in order to facilitate the technique and reduce the invasiveness for the patient, liver biopsy can be performed at the same time as laparoscopy.