Enlarged liver
DEFINITION
An enlarged liver is one that’s bigger than normal. The liver is a large, football-shaped organ found in the upper right portion of your abdomen. The medical term for enlarged liver is hepatomegaly (hep-uh-to-MEG-uh-le).
Enlarged liver isn’t a disease. It’s a sign of an underlying problem, such as liver disease, congestive heart failure or cancer.
Treatment for enlarged liver involves identifying and controlling the underlying cause of the condition.
CAUSES
Many diseases and conditions can cause an enlarged liver, including:
Liver diseases
- Cirrhosis
- Hepatitis caused by a virus — including hepatitis A, B and C — or caused by infectious mononucleosis
- Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
- Alcoholic fatty liver disease
- A disorder that causes abnormal protein to accumulate in your liver (amyloidosis)
- A disorder that causes copper to accumulate in your liver (Wilson’s disease)
- A disorder that causes iron to accumulate in your liver (hemachromatosis)
- A disorder that causes fatty substances to accumulate in your liver (Gaucher’s disease)
- Fluid-filled pockets in the liver (liver cysts)
- Noncancerous liver tumors, including hemangioma and adenoma
- Obstruction of the gallbladder or bile ducts
- Toxic hepatitis
Cancers
- Cancer that begins in another part of the body and spreads to the liver
- Leukemia
- Liver cancer
- Lymphoma
Heart and blood vessel problems
- Blockage of the veins that drain the liver (Budd-Chiari syndrome)
- Heart failure
- Inflammation of the tissue surrounding the heart (pericarditis)
SYMPTOMS
An enlarged liver may not cause any symptoms.
When enlarged liver occurs because of liver disease, it may be accompanied by:
- Abdominal pain
- Fatigue
- Nausea and vomiting
- Yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes (jaundice)
When to see a doctor
Make an appointment with your doctor if you have any symptoms that worry you.
