Liver ultrasound (hepatobiliary ultrasound) is the name given to ultrasound that visualizes the liver, gallbladder and biliary tract.
The spleen should also be evaluated as part of this system. At least 8 hours of fasting is required for the evaluation of these areas by ultrasound. Hepatobiliary ultrasound is not painful and does not involve radiation. Ultrasound imaging is completed in approximately fifteen minutes to half an hour.
The liver is a large organ where the body's toxin-cleansing mechanisms are located!
While the body tries to eliminate toxins through the liver, this organ can sometimes be damaged. Fatty liver and cirrhosis of the liver are the two extremes of this damage. With Liver Ultrasound, fatty liver is caused by the accumulation of excess calories in the liver.
Depending on its degree, fatty liver can cause the liver to enlarge and eventually cause an increase in its enzymes. Therefore, monitoring the liver with ultrasound and taking the necessary precautions allows preventive measures to be taken before the deterioration of liver enzymes occurs. In addition, cysts in the liver, its own cancer or the spread of cancers of other organs to this organ, i.e. metastasis, can also be seen. Annual check-ups are valuable in this regard.
Bile Ducts are also examined with Ultrasound. The biliary tract is a vascular system located inside and outside the liver, separate from the blood vessels and connected to the gallbladder. The most well-known disease involving the biliary tract is a stone in the gallbladder. Other problems such as polyps in the gallbladder and thickening of the wall of the gallbladder can also be examined in detail with ultrasound.
In addition to the gallbladder, stones can also develop in the bile ducts. This can also be observed in patients who have undergone gallbladder surgery and had their gallbladder removed. In this case, the bile ducts enlarge and the enzyme values of the patients increase. In the following period, stones formed in some bile ducts may even fall into the common duct of the pancreas and bile ducts and cause pancreatitis. For this reason, a detailed examination of the bile ducts by a specialized radiologist can prevent more serious problems that may develop.
The spleen can be enlarged for reasons that cause liver enlargement, but sometimes it can also be enlarged for no reason. The spleen must be evaluated during hepatobiliary ultrasound. In addition to enlargement, the spleen can sometimes have cysts and, rarely, cancers. A detailed examination is important to prevent major problems that may occur later. Kidney ultrasound is not performed during this examination.