[Alternative sonographic determination of liver size by intercostal scans]

Assessment of liver size by ultrasonography

BACKGROUND

To determine liver span sonographically in a randomly selected population sample and identify factors that affect liver size.

METHODS

A total of 1,789 subjects (963 females, 826 males; mean age 41.8 ± 12.8 years) underwent sonographic examination of the liver in the midclavicular line to determine liver span. Subjects underwent physical examination and blood tests and completed a standardized interview questionnaire.

RESULTS

The average liver span in the midclavicular line for the overall collective was 15.0 ± 1.5 cm; the average for females was 14.9 ± 1.6 cm and 15.1 ± 1.5 cm for males. Liver span exceeded 16 cm in 24.3% of subjects. Results of the multivariate analysis showed that, of the factors potentially influencing liver span, gender, age, body mass index, body height, fatty liver (p < 0.0001), waist-to-hip ratio (p = 0.015), and metabolic syndrome (p = 0.032) are significant. By contrast, diabetes mellitus, alcohol consumption, tobacco consumption, physical activity, and laboratory findings showed no influence.

CONCLUSIONS

Sonographic measurement of liver span in the midclavicular line is a simple method for routine clinical use. Gender, age, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, body height, hepatic steatosis, and metabolic syndrome are factors associated with liver span.

Sizes of abdominal organs in adults with severe short stature due to severe, untreated, congenital GH deficiency caused by a homozygous mutation in the GHRH receptor gene

OBJECTIVE

To assess the sizes of intra-abdominal organs of adult subjects with untreated severe congenital isolated GH deficiency (IGHD) due to lack of functional GHRH receptor (GHRH-R), and to verify whether there is proportionality between size of organ and adult stature and body surface area (BSA).

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

By using ultrasound, we studied the sizes (absolute and corrected by height, weight and BSA) of the intra-abdominal organs of 18 adult subjects with IGHD (eight females, IGHD group) who have never received GH replacement therapy. They were all homozygous for the same null mutation (IVS1 + 1G --> A) in the GHRH receptor gene (GHRH-R). They were compared with normal controls from the same region.

RESULTS

After correction for BSA, subjects lacking a functional GHRH-R have normal prostate and ovaries size, small spleen and uterus, and large liver, pancreas and kidney.

CONCLUSIONS

Size of individual abdominal organs is influenced in different ways by severe and congenital lack of GH due to a GHRH-R mutation.