An enlarged liver is a symptom of underlying disease. It means that your liver is larger than normal. This may happen in response to an infection, advanced liver disease or cancer. Healthcare providers treat an enlarged liver by treating what’s causing it.

Overview

Hepatomegaly can happen due to conditions like liver disease and cancer. Abdominal pain and jaundice are possible symptoms.

What is an enlarged liver?

If you have an enlarged liver (hepatomegaly), your liver is swollen beyond its normal size. This is most often a symptom of another problem like liver disease. But sometimes, it’s a disease in your blood or heart.

Your liver is one of your essential organs — one you can’t live without. It performs many important bodily functions, including filtering toxins from your blood and regulating your blood cholesterol. A healthy liver can perform all these functions, but an enlarged liver can’t. No matter the cause, you and your healthcare provider will need to find it and treat it to preserve your liver function.

How serious is an enlarged liver?

You should take it seriously, but the exact seriousness depends on the cause. An enlarged liver could be an emergency or a warning. There’s no way to know until your healthcare provider does some investigating. Sometimes, your liver swells in response to a short-term condition, then goes back to normal. Other times, a long-term condition is causing slow but progressive damage.

What are the symptoms of an enlarged liver?

You likely won’t notice an enlarged liver on your own. In some severe cases, you might notice a feeling of bloating or fullness in your belly or an ache in your upper right abdomen (where your liver is). It’s more likely your healthcare provider will discover it during an exam. They might notice that your liver feels different from what it should when they touch your belly.

If a swollen liver is a sign of liver disease, it might come with other related symptoms, such as:

Possible Causes

What is the most common cause of an enlarged liver?

Your liver could be swollen or enlarged by:

  • Inflammation, a response to infection or too many toxins in your liver
  • Fat, if your liver is storing too much
  • Blood, if the vessels that run through your liver are engorged or blocked
  • Growths, either malignant or benign

Common causes include:

What are the other possible causes?

Less common causes of hepatomegaly include:

Genetic disorders

Liver lesions

Systemic cancers

Bile duct diseases and strictures

Heart and vascular causes (congestive hepatopathy)

Care and Treatment

How is an enlarged liver treated?

Your healthcare provider will work with you to determine the cause. They may take blood tests and imaging tests to look for evidence of various diseases. If your condition appears severe, they may want to take a liver biopsy to test a sample of your liver tissue in a lab. They’ll offer treatment options based on the results of these tests.

What medications treat hepatomegaly?

There isn’t a medication to treat an enlarged liver. Rather, there are medications that can treat certain conditions that cause an enlarged liver.

Can an enlarged liver be reversed or cured?

Sometimes. Your liver has a remarkable ability to repair itself when there’s enough healthy tissue left. If your enlarged liver happens suddenly, treating the condition will allow your liver to heal.

If it’s the result of chronic (long-term) liver disease, it can potentially be reversed and, in some cases, cured with lifestyle changes.

For example:

When To Call the Doctor

When should I see my healthcare provider about my liver?

If the upper right side of your belly feels swollen or sore for any reason, make sure to have it checked out. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have other strange or severe symptoms, such as:

  • Persistent fever
  • Confusion or disorientation
  • Weakness and lightheadedness
  • Yellow eyes or skin
  • Change in urine or stool color

A note from Wockr

An enlarged liver is a symptom of many diseases. Not all are emergencies, but they’re all deserving of medical attention. If your healthcare provider notices that your liver is swollen or enlarged, they’ll want to know why. It usually involves inflammation and liver disease, but sometimes, it’s something unexpected.

If you’ve already been diagnosed with progressive liver disease, hepatomegaly could be a sign that the disease is progressing. If you’ve never had your liver looked at before, this might be your first hint of a problem. Either way, follow your healthcare provider’s recommendations for testing and treatment.