Dr. Huntley's
Diagnosis
Checklist
Have a symptom?
See what questions
a doctor would ask.
See what questions
a doctor would ask.
During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques in his assesment of the symptom: Enlarged liver. These may include a physical examination or other medical tests. Your doctor may ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to remember that your consultation is a two-way process and any extra information you can share with your doctor may help them with their diagnosis.
Some of the questions your doctor may ask are listed below:
Why: may indicate increased risk of hydatid disease. Hydatid disease occurs when humans ingest the embryos of the dog tapeworm which may occur with direct contact with infected dogs or by eating uncooked, improperly washed vegetables contaminated with infected canine feces.
Why: e.g. African or Far eastern country of origin, recent consumption of shellfish (may suggest hepatitis A), intravenous drug use, tattoos, male homosexuality, female prostitution, recent travel to areas with increased risk of hepatitis A, needle stick injury.
Why: e.g. primary biliary cirrhosis may be associated with Sjogren's syndrome, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis; primary liver cancer is associated with Hepatitis B and C, alcoholic cirrhosis and hemochromatosis; liver metastases most commonly originate from breast, lung and colon cancer; right heart failure may be caused by left heart failure, chronic lung disease, pulmonary embolism or valvular heart disease secondary to previous rheumatic fever.
Why: may provide information concerning risk of Hepatitis B and HIV infection.
Why: will indicate risk of alcohol hepatitis.
Why: may indicate risk of Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV.
Why: e.g. hemochromatosis.
Sometimes, other symptoms may be present and may help your doctor analyse your condition. These may include:
Why: may suggest biliary obstruction due to gallstones but any cause of enlarged liver may cause abdominal pain due to distention of the liver capsule.
Why: may suggest hemolytic anemia; toxic or infectious hepatitis; bile duct obstruction due to gallstones, carcinoma of the pancreas or ampulla of Vater; or biliary cirrhosis.
Why: may suggest viral hepatitis, infectious mononucleosis, ascending cholangitis, and other infectious diseases.
Why: often suggests cancer ( e.g. metastases, liver cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, cancer of the pancreas or bile ducts).
Why: e.g. weight loss, loss of appetite, fever, ache in the right upper abdomen, swollen abdomen.
Why: e.g. fatigue, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, nausea, swollen ankles, swollen abdomen and symptoms of left heart failure (unable to lie flat in bed due to breathlessness).
Why: e.g. bronze pigmentation, fatigue, loss of libido, painful joints, symptoms of diabetes, symptoms of congestive cardiac failure.
Why: e.g. jaundice (yellow skin), abdominal pain, fever.
Why: e.g. feel unwell with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, headaches, distaste for cigarettes, mild fever, mild abdominal discomfort, jaundice, dark urine, pale colored stools, may develop a rash and painful joints.
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