Causes of a hepatomegaly according to findings on liver palpation:
Massive
- metastases
- ethanol liver disease
- myeloproliferative disease
- right heart failure (RHF)
- hepatoma (HCC)
Moderate
- haemochromatosis
- haematological disease – CML, lymphoma
- Fatty liver – diabetes mellitus, toxins
Mild
- hepatitis
- cirrhosis
- biliary obstruction
- hydatid
- amyloid
- HIV
- ischaemia
Firm and irregular
- cirrhosis
- metastatic disease
- hydatid disease
- granuloma
- amyloid
- cysts
- lipidoses
Tender
- hepatitis
- rapid enlargement – RHF, Budd Chiari syndrome
- hepatoma
Pulsatile
- tricuspid incompetence
- hepatoma
- vascular abnormality
