Indications for ultrasound of the liver

Indications for ultrasound of the liver is a list of a number of parameters, clinical symptoms and laboratory information. Ultrasonic scanning of the liver is an integral part of the complex of gastroenterological diagnostics. The ultrasound of such a multifunctional organ helps the doctor assess the condition, structure, pathological changes in the liver, compare the findings with the norm, and also the examination allows you to determine the diameter of the ducts of the gallbladder.

General indications for ultrasound of the liver: 

• Any data - laboratory, clinical, anamnestic, which indicate a change in the state of the liver; 
• Painful sensations in the right region of the abdominal cavity; 
• Presumptive neoplasms in the liver; 
• Identification and concretization of the etiology of the pathological focus, which was detected by other diagnostic methods; 
• Evaluation and compilation of a prognosis regarding metastases-their size, location, quantity; 
• Portal hypertension (increased blood flow); 
• Percutaneous puncture (intervention intervention) to clarify focal lesion; 
• Polycystic; 
• Presumptive abscess; 
• Echinococcosis (helminthiasis); 
• Diseases of the gynecological; 
• Signs of ascites; 
• Any injuries in the epigastric region; 
• Monitoring of therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of the liver; 
• Dispensary examinations (preventive).

The echography is deservedly recognized as an important and fairly accurate method for screening organs related to the abdominal cavity. Among the number of similar studies, ultrasound of the liver is one of the first places. This is because the liver for ultrasound scanning is "grateful": its parenchyma is recognized as the standard for the preparation and adjustment of all parameters of the study. The structure of the normal liver should be homogeneous (homogeneous), it has better echogenic (reflecting the signal) properties than the kidney parenchyma. It is for this reason that the testimony to ultrasound of the liver is so wide. The informative value of liver echography is beyond doubt and helps the doctor to make an accurate diagnosis for the purpose of effective therapy.

Indications for ultrasound of the liver may be variable and atypical for gastroenterological practice, but it is such non-standard actions that help differentiate clinical manifestations of unclear etiology (cause).

Echography (ultrasound) of the liver reveals the following diseases: 

• Hepatitis; 
• Location and number of secondary pathological foci (metastases); 
• The number and size of cysts; 
• Cirrhosis, its stages; 
• Benign formations (hemangiomas);
• Calcinates; 
• Endophlebitis of hepatic veins (Badd-Chiari syndrome) 
• Pathology of the vascular portal vein system (portal hypertension); 
• Malignant tumor (hepatoma); 
• Fat infiltration (steatosis).

Ultrasound examination does not reveal the disease, but it shows quite clearly pathological abnormalities in the structure, tissues, and functioning of the liver, which develop as a consequence of the disease.

Indications for ultrasound of the liver, unfortunately, coincide with those pathologies that seek to identify the study. A short list and description of problems diagnosed with ultrasound: 

• Hepatitis is chronic, with implicit symptoms and a sluggish course. On the ultrasound, the enlarged liver is determined, the parenchyma of the heterogeneous structure due to the fibrous or inflammatory process, an unclear vascular pattern; 
• Hepatitis in acute form. The liver also increases, its density, structure is disturbed, heterogeneous, there are swelling of the tissues; 
• Cirrhosis of various etiologies. The tissue of the liver is sclerosed, the dimensions are increased, if the cirrhosis has only begun to develop, in later stages the liver is reduced. Shares are uneven, have uneven and implicit contours. The parenchyma also loses its uniformity, there are nodes that look like foci. Possible portal hypertension, hepatomegalia, splenic vein greatly increases in the same way as the spleen itself; 
• Steatosis (fatty infiltration) of alcoholic etiology, among the reasons may be diabetes or overweight, as well as drug intoxication. The size of the liver is enlarged, the vascular pattern is implicit; 
• Violation of venous outflow (Badd-Chiari syndrome). The narrowing of the lumen of the hepatic veins, the general insufficient clearness of viewing the veins (specified by angiography); 
• Malignant pathology is a metastasis that occurs more often than a primary oncoprotein in the liver. Unfortunately, metastases are rarely single, as a rule, they are multiple (in 90% of cases); 
• Carcinoma or hepatoma is a life-threatening cancerous process in the liver, rapidly progressing. Often is a consequence of hepatitis, diffuse pathologies and cirrhosis; 
• Benign tumors are hemangiomas, which are more common in women. Flow without obvious symptoms, can be capillary or cavernous. Ultrasound is the first stage of the examination, which is supplemented by MRI (CT), and also by control echography after six months; 
• Echinococcosis (helminthiasis), cysts, abscesses, simple and atypical. Simple forms are diagnosed with ultrasound with high accuracy; 
• Consequences of infections, more often bacterial ones, are calcints. Provoke calcium calcites malaria, amebiasis, giardiasis, tuberculosis. Quickly and accurately diagnosed with ultrasound.

Indications for ultrasound of the liver can be based on subjective complaints of the most sick person, in addition, the cause for echography is any deviation from the norms in biochemical analyzes. Very important are ultrasound examinations for children, because they can not properly assess and describe their condition, especially concerning the liver, a competent, attentive doctor and, of course, a complete diagnostic complex including ultrasound come to the rescue.

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