What does an enlarged liver and spleen mean?

In some cases, enlarged liver and spleen may be a symptom of a serious or life-threatening condition that should be immediately evaluated by a health care provider. These include: Acute hepatitis (liver inflammation) Cancers. Leukemia (cancer of the blood or bone marrow)

What can liver and spleen scans detect?

A liver and spleen scan is done to: Help find cysts, abscesses, and diseases of the spleen or liver. If liver disease has been diagnosed, a liver scan can help show how well the liver is working. Check for cirrhosis of the liver.

What does it mean if your liver is prominent?

An enlarged liver is one that’s bigger than normal. The medical term is hepatomegaly (hep-uh-toe-MEG-uh-le). Rather than a disease, an enlarged liver is a sign of an underlying problem, such as liver disease, congestive heart failure or cancer. Treatment involves identifying and controlling the cause of the condition.

What is the most common cause of an enlarged liver?

What is the most common cause of an enlarged liver? Common causes include: Alcohol-associated hepatitis, either chronic or acute. Toxic hepatitis, often due to a medication overdose.

Can liver disease cause enlarged spleen?

Many conditions — including infections, liver disease and some cancers — can cause an enlarged spleen. An enlarged spleen is also known as splenomegaly (spleh-no-MEG-uh-lee). An enlarged spleen usually doesn’t cause symptoms. It’s often discovered during a routine physical exam.

What are they looking for when they scan your liver?

A liver scan may be done to look for diseases such as cancer, hepatitis, or cirrhosis. It can also see if your liver or spleen is larger than normal. It can be used to further evaluate known masses in the liver. A liver scan may be done to see how well the liver or spleen is working after trauma to the belly.

Is an enlarged spleen serious?

Left untreated, an enlarged spleen can lead to serious complications. In most cases, treatment of the underlying cause of the enlarged spleen can prevent removal of the spleen. In some cases, the spleen will need to be removed surgically (splenectomy).

Can you live with an enlarged liver?

If your enlarged liver is the result of an acute condition, treating the condition will allow your liver to heal. If it’s the result of chronic liver disease, it can potentially be reversed and in some cases cured with lifestyle changes. For example: If you have alcohol use disorder, get help to quit drinking alcohol.