Health is considered the main wealth of mankind, because thanks to it, people have the opportunity to fully live and work. Various symptoms that bring unpleasant sensations indicate the onset of the disease. In order to diagnose a pathology in time, it is necessary to know all its symptoms well. One of the sciences that are of great importance in medicine is human anatomy. Organs and functional systems under the influence of the disease can change their properties. In order to find out the cause of any symptoms and choose the right treatment, you need to know not only pathological, but also normal parameters.
Physiological examination of the liver
The liver is the largest human organ, which is the exocrine gland. It is one of the components of the gastrointestinal tract, located in the abdominal cavity. The liver is responsible for many processes occurring in the body, its main functions are the neutralization of harmful substances and the formation of blood plasma proteins. During a general examination, this organ is always examined. Normally, during palpation of the liver , only its lower end can be felt, located at the edge of the costal arch on the right. In some cases, it can act stronger, which indicates an increase in the organ. If the liver is healthy, then this should not be. In such cases, compulsory treatment is required. Enlarged liver can be for various reasons. Often, these include diseases of the digestive and hematopoietic system, as well as some infectious processes.
Why is the liver enlarged: reasons
Organ enlargement is most often associated with inflammatory processes. Therefore, the main reason that the liver began to occupy a larger volume are various types of hepatitis. In addition, it can increase with the replacement of normal organ cells with connective tissue. This occurs with the development of a serious disease - cirrhosis of the liver. The size of the organ may return to normal when it comes to hepatitis, but adequate treatment is needed. The liver can also be enlarged in case of blood diseases, which include severely leaking forms of anemia and chronic leukemia. In addition, hepatomegaly is observed in some viral pathologies, for example, with mononucleosis, HIV infection. Another cause of liver enlargement is oncological processes localized in this organ, as well as Hodgkin's lymphoma. In rare cases, helminthic invasions can lead to hepatomegaly.
How to diagnose the cause of liver enlargement?
It is worth remembering that hepatomegaly is only a syndrome. In order to get rid of it, first of all, etiological treatment is required. The liver is enlarged for various reasons, so it is necessary to find out which of the factors led to hepatomegaly. Diagnostic measures include:
- Collection of medical history and complaints of the patient. It is necessary to find out what other symptoms the patient has, whether he received blood transfusions, whether he had contact with infected people.
- Examination of the patient - it is necessary to pay attention to skin color (yellowness is possible), the presence of rashes, the size of the spleen.
- General blood analysis.
- Coagulogram.
- Blood chemistry. This analysis is very important because it can diagnose liver diseases such as hepatitis and cirrhosis.
- Ultrasound examination of the organ allows you to visualize the size, shape of the organ, as well as the presence of additional formations (echinococcosis, abscess).
- Magnetic resonance imaging.
- An organ biopsy is the most reliable analysis. It is indicated for suspected oncological processes, as well as fatty liver.
Hepatomegaly in children: causes
Enlarged liver is a syndrome that can occur at any age. Often hepatomegaly occurs in children, especially for younger patients. Why can a child's liver be enlarged? The causes of hepatomegaly in children are somewhat different, as small patients rarely suffer from diseases such as chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis. A distinctive feature is the fact that the digestive gland of babies is more responsive to viral and bacterial infections. From this it follows that hepatomegaly in a child can be diagnosed in almost any acute process. The most common cause of enlarged liver in childhood is considered viral hepatitis A (jaundice), which is characterized by fecal-oral transmission and is highly contagious. Also, hepatomegaly can be observed during vaccination, in which case it is temporary and does not pose a danger. If, when examining a child, the liver and spleen are enlarged, then diseases of the hematopoietic system (aplastic anemia, leukemia) should be excluded.
Hepatomegaly Treatment Approaches
We must not forget that liver enlargement is not an independent disease. Therefore, in order to determine the tactics of treatment, it is necessary to find out the reason that led to hepatomegaly. You also need to keep in mind the features of childhood. When it comes to small patients, human anatomy is very important. Organs in children, in comparison with adults, have different proportions. In the first months of life, the liver of the babies is enlarged, and this is not a pathological condition. Treatment of hepatomegaly should be aimed at eliminating the etiological factor. You should also adhere to proper nutrition, refuse alcoholic beverages and hard to digest food, eat more fruits, nuts, and consume olive oil. As maintenance therapy, you can use infusions of mint, St. John's wort and motherwort, as well as a decoction of oats.
Etiological treatment for hepatomegaly
Due to the fact that the main cause of liver enlargement is hepatitis, antiviral drugs are prescribed. In addition, in chronic diseases, hepatoprotectors are used that stimulate the work of the body. If the cause is leukemia or cancer, an antitumor treatment is indicated. The liver can also be enlarged with pathologies of other organs, for example, with heart failure. In this case, therapy should be directed to the underlying disease. With abscesses and echinococcosis, surgical treatment is performed.