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Hígado agrandado

Definición

Es la inflamación del hígado más allá de su tamaño normal. Hepatomegalia es otro término para describir este problema.

Si tanto el hígado como el bazo están agrandados, esto se denomina hepatoesplenomegalia.

Consideraciones

El borde inferior del hígado normalmente llega justo hasta el borde inferior de las costillas sobre el lado derecho. El borde del hígado normalmente es delgado y firme y no puede sentirse con las puntas de los dedos por debajo del borde de las costillas, excepto al tomar una respiración profunda. Puede estar agrandado si el proveedor de atención médica lo puede sentir en esta área.

Causas

El hígado está involucrado en muchas funciones corporales. Su función se ve afectada por muchas afecciones que pueden causar hepatomegalia, entre ellas:

• Consumo de alcohol (especialmente el consumo excesivo)
• Metástasis de cáncer (diseminación del cáncer al hígado)
• Insuficiencia cardíaca congestiva
• Enfermedad por almacenamiento de glucógeno
• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C
• Carcinoma hepatocelular
• Intolerancia hereditaria a la fructosa
• Mononucleosis infecciosa
• Leucemia
• Enfermedad de Niemann-Pick
• Colangitis biliar primaria
• Síndrome de Reye
• Sarcoidosis
• Colangitis esclerosante
• Trombosis de la vena portal
• Esteatosis (grasa en el hígado por problemas metabólicos tales como diabetes, obesidad y triglicéridos altos, también llamada esteatohepatitis no alcohólica o EHNA)

Cuándo contactar a un profesional médico

En la mayoría de los casos, esta afección es detectada por un proveedor. Es posible que usted no esté al tanto de la inflamación del hígado o el bazo.

Lo que se puede esperar en el consultorio médico

El proveedor lo examinará y le hará preguntas como las siguientes:

• ¿Notó una llenura o protuberancia en el abdomen?
• ¿Qué otros síntomas tiene?
• ¿Hay algún dolor abdominal?
• ¿Hay alguna coloración amarilla de la piel (ictericia)?
• ¿Tiene vómitos?
• ¿Se presentan heces de un color inusual o heces pálidas?
• ¿La orina parece más oscura de lo normal (color marrón)?
• ¿Ha tenido fiebre?
• ¿Qué medicamentos está tomando, incluso medicamentos de venta libre o herbales?
• ¿Qué tanto alcohol consume?

Los exámenes para determinar la causa de la hepatomegalia varían, dependiendo de la presunta causa, pero pueden incluir:

• Radiografía abdominal.
• Ultrasonido abdominal (se puede hacer para confirmar la afección si el proveedor piensa que el hígado se siente agrandado durante un examen físico).
• Tomografía computarizada del abdomen.
• Pruebas de la función hepática, por ejemplo, exámenes de coagulación sanguínea.
• Resonancia magnética del abdomen.

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