Hepatomegaly
Updates to Article Attributes
Body
was changed:
Hepatomegaly refers to an increase in size or enlargement of the liver.
Pathology
Aetiology
Hepatomegaly can result from a vast range of pathology including, but not limited to, the following:
- malignancy/cellular infiltrate
- acquired hepatic conditions
- acquired non-hepatic conditions
-
congenital anomalies
-
biochemical
- glycogen storage disease
- primary haemochromatosis
- Gaucher disease
- certain mucopolysaccharidoses - e.g. Hunter syndrome
- Niemann-Pick disease
- anatomical
-
biochemical
- syndromes
Radiographic features
Assessment of liver size is commonly made on ultrasound or CT, although gross hepatomegaly may be apparent on abdominal radiograph.
For the adult liver:
- midclavicular line averages 10-12.5 cm in craniocaudal length 2
- a liver that is longer than 15.5-16 cm in the midclavicular line (MCL) is considered enlarged
- average transverse diameter is 20-23 cm at the level of the upper pole of the right kidney 2
In practice, however, assessment is often subjective.
Features that support hepatomegaly include 1:
- extension of the right lobe inferior to the lower pole of the right kidney
- rounding of the hepatic inferior border
Differential diagnosis
- Riedel lobe (normal variant)
See also
- +<li>
- +<a title="hepatic tuberculosis / histoplasmosis" href="/articles/hepatic-tuberculosis-histoplasmosis">hepatic </a><a title="tuberculosis / histoplasmosis" href="/articles/tuberculosis-histoplasmosis">tuberculosis / histoplasmosis</a> <sup>3</sup>
- +</li>
References changed:
- 3. Dähnert W. Radiology Review Manual. (2011) <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?vid=ISBN9781609139438">ISBN: 9781609139438</a><span class="ref_v4"></span>