The structure and function of the liver
The liver is the largest gland in the human body, which consists entirely of parenchymal tissue (the liver parenchyma consists of cells - hepatocytes) and does not contain a cavity. The liver is located in the abdominal region, in the right hypochondrium. The basis of the liver parenchyma is the lobes, between which the blood vessels and bile ducts are located. Through the bile ducts, the bile produced by the liver enters the gallbladder, and from there, through the common bile duct, it enters the duodenum, after having previously combined with the ducts of the pancreas (thus, liver diseases will certainly affect the general condition of the pancreas).
In the human body, the liver performs a very large number of diverse functions. First of all, it is responsible for the neutralization and elimination of toxic products that enter the body. In addition, proteins are synthesized in the liver and stores of glucose converted into glycogen are stored. And finally, bile is formed in the liver, which is necessary for the digestion of fats.
Today, liver disease is far from uncommon. This is due to the fact that the modern way of life, the nature of food and frequent alcohol consumption significantly damage the liver tissue, which is why diffuse changes in the liver parenchyma develop. Not the last place is occupied by viral lesions, which often remain unattended and due to this are transmitted from person to person. There are a very large number of different methods aimed at diagnosing various pathological conditions of the liver. For various liver diseases, ultrasound is most often used. Unfortunately, it is impossible to make a final diagnosis, based only on ultrasound data, for this it is necessary to conduct a number of laboratory and instrumental studies.
The ultrasound method is based on the principles of echolocation, that is, reflection of sound by tissues and visualization of reflected sound on a monitor screen. The appearance of each type of tissue is different because of the different reflection coefficient of sound, so it is not difficult for a specialist to determine the size, position and functional state of the organs under investigation, including diffuse changes in the liver parenchyma. Unfortunately, in most cases, it is not possible to differentiate the changes detected by ultrasound, which requires a number of other studies aimed at detailing and recognizing the detected changes.
Diffuse changes in the liver parenchyma
Liver tissue normally is a homogeneous, slightly echogenic structure, among which bile ducts and blood vessels with increased echogenicity are visible. Diffuse changes in the liver parenchyma indicate that the liver tissue is completely changed. Such changes are characteristic both for minor functional changes, and for very severe lesions (parenchyma of increased echogenicity of the liver). Therefore, it is necessary to conduct additional research. First of all, it is necessary to conduct a full laboratory study, which will allow you to find out how badly the liver is affected. In addition to examining the liver itself, conditions of the biliary tract, pancreas, duodenum, and, if necessary, all digestive organs are studied.
Changes in the liver parenchyma appear due to diseases such as viral hepatitis, alcoholic hepatitis, fatty liver, various metabolic diseases of the liver. With fatty degeneration of the liver, its size increases, and the echogenicity of the structures increases. If the liver is enlarged slightly and there is a slight increase in echogenicity, this may indicate chronic hepatitis (this disease can occur for many different reasons, from alcoholism to viral infections). To determine the true cause of the disease, a number of additional research methods are required.