Role of ultrasonography to detect liver size

Abstract

Introduction The liver is the largest organ in the body and also the largest gland. It has been estimated that between birth and adulthood, there is at least a 10-fold increase in liver mass. The size of the liver increases with age, from an average span of 5 cm at the age of five years, to 15 cm in adulthood. The size of the normal liver also varies with sex and body size. The normal liver weighs 1.4 to 1.5 kg in men and 1.2 to 1.4 kg in women. Relative to body size, the liver is larger in the fetus (1/18 of total body weight) than in the adult (1/36 of total body weight). Objective The aims and objective of this study was to evaluate the Liver size of Bangladeshi population using Ultrasound. Methods & Patients A total of 40 subjects (23 females, 17 males; mean age 41.8 ± 12.8 years) underwent sonographic examination of the liver in the midclavicular line to determine liver span. Subjects underwent physical examination and blood tests and completed a standardized interview questionnaire. Results The average liver span in the midclavicular line for the overall collective was 15.0 ± 1.5 cm; the average for females was 14.9 ± 1.6 cm and 15.1 ± 1.5 cm for males. Liver span exceeded 16 cm in 24.3% of subjects. Results of the multivariate analysis showed that, of the factors potentially influencing liver span, gender, age, body mass index, body height, fatty liver (p Conclusion Sonographic measurement of liver span in the midclavicular line is a simple method for routine clinical use. Gender, age, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, body height, hepatic steatosis, and metabolic syndrome are factors associated with liver span.