Enlarged liver

Having a larger than usual liver is a sign of a serious condition, such as liver disease, congestive heart failure or cancer.

Update Date: 20.09.2025

Overview
Symptoms
When to see a doctor
Causes
Risk factors
Prevention
Diagnosis
Treatment
Preparing for your appointment

Overview

Having an enlarged liver is usually a sign of an underlying condition, such as liver disease, congestive heart failure or cancer. The medical term for enlarged liver is hepatomegaly (hep-uh-toe-MEG-uh-le).

Management involves finding the condition causing the enlarged liver and treating it.

Enlarged liver

An enlarged liver can have many possible causes.

Symptoms

An enlarged liver might not cause symptoms.

In some instances, when enlarged liver results from liver disease, it also might cause:

  • Belly pain.
  • Fatigue.
  • Nausea and vomiting.
  • Yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes, called jaundice.

When to see a doctor

Make an appointment with a healthcare professional if you have symptoms that worry you.

Causes

The liver is a large, football-shaped organ found in the upper right portion of the abdomen. The size of the liver varies with age, sex and body size. Many conditions can cause it to enlarge, including:

Liver diseases

  • Cirrhosis.
  • Hepatitis caused by a virus — including hepatitis A, B and C — or caused by infectious mononucleosis.
  • Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), now known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).
  • Alcoholic fatty liver disease.
  • A disease caused by a buildup of a certain protein in the liver, called amyloidosis.
  • A genetic condition that causes copper to accumulate in the liver, called Wilson's disease.
  • A disease that causes iron to build up in the liver, known as hemochromatosis.
  • A condition that causes fatty substances to accumulate in the liver, called Gaucher disease.
  • Fluid-filled pockets in the liver, known as liver cysts.
  • Noncancerous liver tumors, including hemangioma and adenoma.
  • Blockage of the gallbladder or bile ducts.
  • Toxic hepatitis.

Cancers

  • Cancer that begins in another part of the body and spreads to the liver.
  • Leukemia.
  • Liver cancer.
  • Lymphoma.

Heart and blood vessel problems

  • Blockage of the veins that drain the liver, known as Budd-Chiari syndrome.
  • Heart failure.
  • Inflammation of the tissue surrounding the heart, called pericarditis.

Risk factors

You're more likely to develop an enlarged liver if you have a liver disease. Factors that can increase your risk of liver conditions include:

  • Excessive alcohol use. Drinking large amounts of alcohol can damage your liver.
  • Large doses of medicines, vitamins or supplements. Taking larger than recommended doses of vitamins, supplements, nonprescription or prescription medicines can increase your risk of liver damage.

    Acetaminophen overdose is the most common cause of acute liver failure in the United States. Besides being the ingredient in nonprescription pain relievers such as Tylenol, it's in more than 600 medicines, both nonprescription and prescription.

    Know what's in the medicines you take. Read labels. Look for "acetaminophen," "acetam" or "APAP." Check with a healthcare professional if you're not sure what's too much.

  • Herbal supplements. Certain supplements, including black cohosh, ma-huang and valerian, can increase your risk of liver damage.
  • Infections. Infectious diseases, viral, bacterial or parasitic, can increase your risk of liver damage.
  • Hepatitis viruses. Hepatitis A, B and C can cause liver damage.
  • Poor eating habits. Being overweight increases your risk of liver disease. So does eating unhealthy foods, such as those with too much fat or sugar.

Prevention

To reduce your risk of liver disease, you can:

  • Eat a healthy diet. Choose a diet full of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
  • Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all. Check with your healthcare team to find out what's the right amount of alcohol for you, if any.
  • Follow directions when taking medicines, vitamins or supplements. Limit yourself to the recommended doses.
  • Limit contact with chemicals. Use aerosol cleaners, insecticides and other toxic chemicals only in well-ventilated areas. Wear gloves, long sleeves and a mask.
  • Maintain a healthy weight. Eat a balanced diet and limit foods that are high in sugar and fat. If you're overweight, ask your care team about the best way for you to lose weight.
  • Quit smoking. Ask your care team about strategies to help you quit.
  • Use supplements with caution. Talk with your healthcare team about the risks and benefits of herbal supplements before you take them. Some alternative medicine treatments can harm your liver.

    Herbs and supplements to avoid include black cohosh, ma-huang and other Chinese herbs, comfrey, germander, greater celandine, kava, pennyroyal, skullcap, and valerian.

Diagnosis

To diagnose an enlarged liver, a healthcare professional might start by feeling the belly during a physical exam. This can help determine liver size, shape and texture. However, this might not be enough to diagnose an enlarged liver.

Additional procedures

If a healthcare professional suspects you have an enlarged liver, you may need other tests and procedures to confirm a diagnosis, including:

  • Blood tests. A blood sample is tested to check liver enzyme levels and identify viruses that can cause enlarged liver.
  • Imaging tests. Imaging tests include ultrasound, MRI or CT scan.
  • Magnetic resonance elastography. This test uses sound waves to create a visual map of the stiffness of liver tissue. This noninvasive test can be an alternative to a liver biopsy.
  • Removing a sample of liver tissue for testing, called a liver biopsy. A liver biopsy is often done using a long, thin needle that's inserted through the skin and into the liver. The needle draws out a core of tissue that is then sent to a laboratory for testing.

Liver biopsy

A liver biopsy is a procedure to remove a small sample of liver tissue for laboratory testing. Liver biopsy is commonly performed by inserting a thin needle through your skin and into your liver.

Treatment

Treatment for enlarged liver involves treating the condition that's causing it.

Preparing for your appointment

You're likely to start by seeing someone on your healthcare team. If your healthcare professional suspects you have an enlarged liver, you may be referred to the appropriate specialist after testing to determine the cause.

If you have a liver disease, you might be referred to a specialist in liver conditions, called a hepatologist.

Here's information to help you get ready for your appointment.

What you can do

When you make the appointment, ask if there's anything you need to do in advance, such as fasting before having a specific test. Make a list of:

  • Your symptoms, including ones that seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment and when they began.
  • A list of all medicines, vitamins or supplements you take, including doses.
  • Questions to ask during your appointment.

Take a family member or friend along, if possible, to help you remember the information you're given.

For enlarged liver some questions to ask include:

  • What's likely causing my symptoms?
  • What tests do I need?
  • Is my condition likely temporary or long lasting?
  • What's the best course of action?
  • What are the alternatives to the primary approach you're suggesting?
  • I have these other health conditions. How can I best manage them together?
  • Are there restrictions I need to follow?
  • Should I see a specialist?
  • Will I need follow-up visits?
  • Are there brochures or other printed material I can have? What websites do you recommend?

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