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Ultrasound in liver disease

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Ultrasound is a cheap, safe and non-invasive; for these reasons it is the first investigation of choice in disorders of the liver, biliary tree and pancreas.

The following parameters can be accurately assessed:

  • degree of dilatation of the biliary tree
  • the presence of stones in the gallbladder
  • size and patency of the hepatic and portal veins
  • space occupying lesions, which can generally be detected if they are larger than 1 cm in diameter

Ultrasound is less sensitive but still useful for:

  • detecting stones in the common bile duct
  • assessing the texture of the liver parenchyma

Ultrasound guided biopsy and drainage of liver lesions are routine but should be undertaken with caution.

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