Functions and Anatomy of the Liver

The liver's primary function is to produce enzymes essential for various biochemical reactions within the body.

The liver plays a crucial role in digestion and metabolism by processing nutrients, breaking down fats, and converting glucose to glycogen.

The liver acts as a storage depot for essential vitamins and minerals, ensuring a readily available supply for the body's needs.

The liver is a critical detoxifier, removing harmful substances from the bloodstream and preventing their accumulation.

The main lobar fissure separates the right and left lobes of the liver, providing a structural division.

This fissure divides the right lobe into anterior and posterior segments, aiding in liver segmentation.

The falciform ligament is a structure that separates the liver into left and right portions, running externally along the liver's surface.

The ligamentum teres, also known as the round ligament, divides the left side of the liver into medial and lateral sections.

The ligamentum venosum is located between the left lobe and the caudate lobe, serving as a landmark within the liver.

The right hepatic vein helps divide the liver into anterior and posterior sections.

The middle hepatic vein divides the right and left lobes of the liver.

The left hepatic vein separates the left lobe into medial and lateral sections.

Liver tests are a set of blood tests used to assess liver function and detect potential liver diseases.

AST, short for aspartate aminotransferase, is an enzyme found in the body; elevated levels indicate potential liver damage.

ALT, short for alanine aminotransferase, is a liver enzyme that increases with liver disease.

Bilirubin is a breakdown product of hemoglobin, and its levels indicate liver function.

Prothrombin time measures blood clotting ability and an increased time suggests liver dysfunction.

Abdominal pain, loss of appetite, dyspepsia, malaise, nausea and vomiting, dark urine, light stool, and bloody stool are common primary signs of liver disease.

Jaundice, itching, increased abdominal girth, and unusual weight changes are late-stage signs of liver disease.

Inflammation, biliary obstruction, congestion, tumors, and cysts can all contribute to hepatomegaly, an enlarged liver.

Diffuse liver disease encompasses a range of conditions like fatty liver disease, hepatitis, cirrhosis, and portal hypertension.

This phase begins 2 weeks after exposure and lasts 3-12 days, with no visible symptoms.

This phase lasts 2-6 weeks and is characterized by jaundice, a yellowish discoloration of the skin and eyes.

This phase is characterized by a gradual return to normal liver function, typically resolving within 6-8 weeks post-exposure.

Laboratory findings in hepatitis often show increased levels of AST, ALT, and bilirubin, while the white blood cell count can be normal to low.

Sonographic scans in hepatitis usually show a normal appearance, but may reveal hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, increased echoes in portal triads, or thickening of the gallbladder wall.

Fatty liver disease, commonly associated with diabetes, is characterized by different grades based on the severity of fat accumulation.

Cirrhosis, associated with portal venous obstruction and liver failure, is characterized by a coarse echo pattern, increased echogenicity, nodularity, enlarged caudate lobe, and shrunken left and right lobes on ultrasound.