Liver problem

[siobhanmh]

Dear Dr

I have a 7month old and a two and a half year old and had a misscarriage in between.   I am 35 years old and used oral contraceptives for about three years approx 15 years ago although when i was a young child I did apparently consume close to a packet of pills by accident but only vomited.  i had mild pre-eclampsia in my first pregnancy and elevated blood pressure in my most recent but no other symptoms.

I had an abdominal u/s when pregnant with my youngest and my liver was fine (u/s was due to abdominal pain).   After deliver had another abdominal u/s and there was a small lesion in the liver arround 1cm in size.   Recommendation was to go for follow up u/s after three months to confirm stability.   I recently went for this u/s and there is no change at all with the lesion still 1cm and u/s appreance is the same - it was reported to be subtle and non-specific.   There was also a 2mm cyst both findings are in the left lobe.   Liver function tests were normal.  

My Dr does not appear concerned with this finding and has basicaly said we could do another u/s in 6-9 months.

1.     Can pregnancy cause liver lesions?????
2.     Should I be looking at other tests or just going along with this wait and see approach?????
3.     are there natural ways of making the liver healthier?????

thank you for your input.

[siobhanmh]

Thank you for your reply.  I guess that this nodule may have been there the whole time but previously was too small too visualise and pregnancy has perhaps made it grow a bit.  

[Thomas D Schiano, MD]

almost of all of these lesions are benign.  pregnancy doesn't cause the lesions but the hormones of pregnancy can make certain lesions such as adenoma and FNH grow.  Cysts are very common in the general population and are almost always nothing to worry about.  I think everything is OK.