Shifted Liver

[Joy320]

What does it mean when the liver spleen scan shows that your liver has shifted? I was having some side and stomach pain for quit some did. My doctor ordered an ultrasound to determine the cause of my pain. The ultrasound showed that I had fatty liver disease. She referred me to a doctor to do a liver biopsy. He ordered a liver spleen scan first. The liver spleen scan showed that my liver shifted. I was just wondering what causes you liver to shift and what does that exactly mean? He has order a liver biopsy to see if there is any damage that has been done to my liver.  

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

The position of the liver will not shift. It will stay in the same place, but it will increase in size, the liver becomes bigger, this is referred to as hepatomegaly.
And hence also becomes palpable below the ribs on the right side..  

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.

[Joy320]

So if the liver is enlarged it will shift?

[Paderla Anitha, DNB]

Hello and hope you are doing well.

The liver is usually placed below the right dome of the diaphragm and is normally not palpable. But when it enlarges, it can be palpated below the rib cage and this can be measured. Also, the ultrasonography will reflect this enlargement. Fatty liver changes can cause an enlargement of the liver.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.