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The liver span is a measurement performed during physical examination to determine the size of the liver and identify possible hepatomegaly.. It is the distance between the lower border of the liver in the mid-clavicular line obtained by palpation, and the upper border of the liver in the mid-clavicular line detected by percussion (the upper border of the liver lies behind the ribs and can not ...
On abdominal ultrasonography, the liver can be measured by the maximum dimension on a sagittal plane view through the midclavicular line, which is normally up to 18 cm in adults. [2] It is also possible to measure the cranio-caudal dimension , which is normally up to 15 cm in adults. [ 2 ]
Ultrasonography of the liver with some standard measurements [6] In patients with deranged liver function tests, ultrasound may show increased liver size (hepatomegaly), increased reflectiveness (which might, for example, indicate cholestasis), gallbladder or bile duct diseases, or a tumor in the liver.
Adult ultrasound showing the right lobe of the liver and right kidney At birth, the liver comprises roughly 4% of body weight and weighs on average about 120 g (4 oz). Over the course of further development, it will increase to 1.4–1.6 kg (3.1–3.5 lb) but will only take up 2.5–3.5% of body weight.
In some cases this accumulation can mimic a liver tumor. Sometimes the opposite phenomenon can be seen, that is an "island" of normal parenchyma in a “shining” liver. In both cases ultrasound examination identifies a well defined, un-encapsulated area, with echostructure and vasculature similar to those of normal liver parenchyma.
Liver size can be enlarged, normal, or shrunken in people with cirrhosis. [36] As the disease progresses, the liver will typically shrink due to the result of scarring. [37] Jaundice is the yellowing of the skin. It can additionally cause yellowing of mucous membranes notably of the white of the eyes.
The liver scratch test can be used when other exam techniques used to approximate liver size are ineffective or unavailable [2] and is thought to be most useful if the abdomen is distended, too tender for direct palpation, the abdominal muscles are too rigid, or the patient is obese. [3]
Mumoli's sign (also known as a "Playboy Rabbit" sign) is a radiologic sign seen in the normal liver. It appears as a rabbit-shaped image caused by the confluence of the middle and right hepatic veins as they merge with the inferior vena cava. It can be seen on ultrasound images of the liver with a transverse subcostal view during deep inspiration.