My ultrasound results

[PaulaAnn]

Liver is normal in size and mildly heterogeneous in echogencity, findinds are non specific but mat represent heptocellular disease. Cyst on inferior right lobe of liver with a couple small areas of internal septation. No solid mass or ductal dilation.


Gallbladder is present without gallstones. Pancreas is normal. Kidneys normal.


The spleen is normal. Abdominal aorta and inferior vena cava are unremarkable.  No ascites


Cyst right lobe of the liver.


Mildly hetergeneous appearance to the liver, findings which are non specific but may represent heptocellular disease. No focal hepatic.



This sounds horrible.... can anyone shed any light?


Is this more cancer or cirrhosis?


Thank you..Paula

[PaulaAnn]

Thank you for asking.  I had a CT w/contrast last yr and it showed early cirrhosis.  I go back every 6 mos for US, labs, office visit to the Cleveland Clinic.  No tumors.  I have nodular contour of the liver, hetergeneous diffuse. I forget the exact wording.  Labs have been low normal except AST which is a point or two above normal values. Dr Barnes dx'd me with early cirrhosis..cryptogenic.  He wont perform a liver bx unless I start to have problems.  I deal wtith so many other things also...the rheum arth, some ILD lung fibrosis that the pulm says isnt bad. *not his lungs*  that is caused by some limited scleroderma due to r/a.  Platelets have sat around 110 and up. sometimes close to normal.  My cat scan showed no enlargement of spleen, liver .  some mild bile duct dilation, had an MRI for that ..no fun, my first....hep said it wasnt an issue.  US results, he just reads them and tells me that they're only really looking for masses or tumors.  CC posts the results electronically and thats always a long wait though I receive it the same day.
How have you been doing?  I've been fine except the worry.  Wish I could eat better but the r/a, gerd, lung issues, etc..  If I eat what is good for me, I will lose weight..and I'm small anyway.  If I drink Ensure..my tummy revolts.  
Hope that you've been doing well.  i've just had more work added onto my ChemoAngels group and lots going on in my life...helping my daughter,  my ex passed away (Tracys dad) we've always had a good rapport.  So...I tried to take a break from all the medical issues and concentrate  on other aspects of life when I can. Though I always think about it every day.    
Hope you and family are doing well and enjoying Spring....thank you for asking!!!

[jonkob]

PaulaAnn any updates on the liver?

[PaulaAnn]

Thank you jonkob.  I am now watching my diet too...  I think the years of arthritis meds have taken a toll on my liver so I am being very careful about it.  

[jonkob]

I recently had an US with the exact same thing. "Liver echotexture is mildly heterogenous, possibly representing mild patches of fat"
all else was normal and labs are normal. A few years ago I had a severe fatty liver which was mildly enlarged. I went on a diet and reversed the condition. My doc thinks this is left over from the fatty liver and is not concerned.

[PaulaAnn]

Hi country.....just wondering how your US went.  I hope the results were better than expected.  The worst part is waiting for the test results.

Hope you're doing okay.

Sending good thoughts...Paula

[PaulaAnn]

Thank you Hector for your explanation.  I did talk to my drs and they are just going to keep checking myLFT's and bloodwork for awhile then we go from there.

countrygirl..the ultrasound results I received are above in comments.  Thinking of you,  The ultrasound was easy...it was just tough laying there while the tech was typing away.  They cant say much to you and I wanted to ask questions.

Please keep us posted on how you're doing.  I had to go and retrieve my own medical records because the gastro didnt get back to me.  I took them with me to my pcp appt and he had half of my records that were supposed to be given to him...  

Good luck...thinking of you,

Thanks Hector for your help.  I am thinking and praying for you also...keeping you in my good wishes and thoughts and to others who have helped in answering my questions.

[HectorSF]

Paula.

"Liver is normal in size and mildly heterogeneous in echogencity, findings are non specific but may represent heptocellular disease (liver disease). Cyst on inferior right lobe of liver with a couple small areas of internal septation. No solid mass or ductal dilation."

Gallbladder, Pancreas Kidneys are all normal. The spleen, Abdominal aorta and inferior vena cava are unremarkable (normal).  No ascites. (No fluid build up in the abdomen which commonly occurs in person with advanced cirrhosis. No enlarged spleen which occurs when some has cirrhosis and portal hypertension.

Cyst right lobe of the liver. (Liver cysts are abnormal sacs filled with fluid in the liver. Liver cysts occur in approximately 5% of the population. Liver cysts can be present at birth or can develop at a later time. Cysts usually cause no signs or symptoms and need no treatment.)

"Mildly hetergeneous appearance to the liver, findings which are non specific but may represent heptocellular disease. No focal hepatic."

This sounds horrible.... can anyone shed any light?
* There is nothing horrible at all here. Most results indicate a normal healthy liver.

Is this more cancer or cirrhosis?
* There is no signs of liver cancer (HCC). “no focal hepatic lesions”

* You have no indications of cirrhosis such as an enlarged spleen, surface nodularity, collateral veins, reversal of portal venous flow or ascites.

The only thing abnormal is “mildly heterogeneous in echogencity”. The normal liver is soft, smooth, and has a homogenous (uniform) echo texture. When an ultrasound states it is minimally heterogeneous...it means its surface has a different echotexture...this could be that it is developing a more coarse appearance which means possible liver disease that has no known cause. This can be caused by mild fibrosis of fatty liver disease. A liver biopsy can be performed to determine the cause.

Echotexture of the liver describes the relative level of echogenicity (ability to bounce an echo) of a structure.  Fatty liver, where large vacuoles of triglyceride accumulate in the cells, has more echogenicity than a normal liver.  Fatty liver is widely seen in people with an excessive alcohol intake and in those who are obese.

Talk to your gastroenterologist about what the next step is.

Good luck!
Hector

[countrygirlcansurvive]

I am just Curious if you have been back to see your doctor and what you found out about your results?I am getting US done this week and I am a little worried as to what they might find..I do have Cirrhosis..

  Did you find out what exactly all this means on your results?

Good Luck!
~Country

[PaulaAnn]

Thank you..always take my questions along.... and copies of my labs since sometimes they dont get forwarded to my pcp.

I even had to go to Medical Records to pick up copies this week since I had not heard back from the gastro about the ultrasound.   Then took them to my pcp and he didnt have them from more than 2 weeks ago.  

Paula

[ceanothus]

It would help if we knew why you had this ultrasound done in the first place. I agree with OH that it describes a cyst (a fluid-filled sac) on the right lobe of the liver, but you will need your doctor to explain why it is present and what it means to your health.

I must disagree with OS's interpretation regarding cirrhosis. The part that says, "mildly heterogenous in echogenicity" does sound consistent with some scarring of the liver, however, a liver biopsy would be needed to confirm whether the degree of scarring is as extreme as cirrhosis or at a lesser level. Ask your doctor for more info, as I'm sure he/she will be able to get much more info out of those results than we can (we are not doctors, just patients helping each other). I'm basing my interpretation of the "mildly heterogenous" part of your report on the fact that this was the description on my last ultrasound 6 months before I had a biopsy that did find cirrhosis. Make a list of questions for your doctor and try to enlist a loved one to accompany you on your next visit. It REALLY helps in getting all your questions answered.

[orphanedhawk]

It might help if you told us more about your symptoms though none of us here are doctors.

I'm not very good at reading results but from what I can tell, you have a cyst on you liver.
The good news is this does not sound like cirrhosis.

I suggest you do some searches on hepatolcellular disease. This is one I came up with:

http://www.hepatocellular.org/disease.html

[PaulaAnn]

rest was:  no focal hepatic mass.

Thanks all...Paula