Liver pain

Introduction The liver itself is not sensitive to pain. The main cause of pain in the liver area is the pain caused by stimulation of the intrahepatic bile duct and the pain caused by the pulling of the liver cell membrane. Pain in the liver area refers to a painful feeling in the area under the right rib or under the xiphoid process. The pain is intermittent or persistent. Dull pain or tingling, the patient may feel discomfort in the right upper quadrant for a period of time before the pain. Pain can be relieved when it is light or heavy. Liver pain is common in liver diseases such as liver cancer, liver cirrhosis, hepatitis, and sometimes can be seen in gallbladder diseases. Persistent liver pain should be considered in the diagnosis of liver disease, fatigue, and psychological effects.

Cause

Liver pain is common in liver diseases such as liver cancer, liver cirrhosis, hepatitis, and sometimes can be seen in gallbladder diseases. Persistent liver pain should be considered in the diagnosis of liver disease, fatigue, and psychological effects. Such as:

1. Hepatitis and hepatitis recovery period: Hepatitis is acquired, and the liver is swollen due to inflammation of the liver, so that the nerves on the liver capsule are stimulated or pulled by the inflammation, causing pain in the liver area; the recovery period of hepatitis may also be due to the swollen liver. Shrinking, pulling the nerves on the liver capsule and feeling pain or discomfort in the liver area.

2. Fatty liver: As the liver is infiltrated by adipose tissue, the liver enlarges, causing discomfort or pain in the liver area.

3. Tiredness: The liver is a chemical processing plant that supplies energy to the human body. When the body is tired, the energy supply in the body is insufficient, and pain in the liver area or discomfort in the liver area can occur.

4. The cause of liver cancer pain is mainly due to the rapid increase of tumor, oppression of the liver capsule, resulting in traction pain, but also caused by tumor necrosis to stimulate the liver capsule. A small number of patients suddenly have severe pain in the liver area spontaneously or after liver puncture, mostly due to cancer nodules located on the surface of the liver.

an examination

Related inspection

Liver, gallbladder, spleen CT examination of tumor contrast angiography

Clinically, patients with liver pain should be examined:

First, physical examination

Taking a medical history gives us a first impression and revelation, and also guides us to a concept of the nature of the disease.

Second, laboratory inspection

Laboratory examinations must be summarized and analyzed based on objective materials and medical examinations, and several possible diagnostics are proposed, and then further examinations are performed to confirm the diagnosis. Such as: liver ultrasound, liver function tests, etc.

Differential diagnosis

Differential diagnosis of liver pain:

The pain site is the upper abdomen: the lesion is in the left lobe and the parietal lobe.

Pain in the right quarter rib: the lesion is in the right lobe.

Pain in the right back of the waist: the lesion is in the back of the right lobe.

Pain is often in the right quarter of the rib: extensive liver disease, such as acute and chronic hepatitis.

With gallbladder disease: the gallbladder is located in the lower part of the liver, accompanied by gallbladder disease often mistaken for liver pain or liver discomfort.

Intercostal neuralgia: Some people often feel stinging or jumping pain in the liver area or intercostal space. This is not a pain in the liver area, but an intercostal neuralgia.

Liver discomfort mental disorder after liver disease: Some people do not feel uncomfortable when they do not find out that they are infected with hepatitis B. After detecting hepatitis B infection, I always feel that the liver area is unwell. This is a psychological factor. Sometimes when work is tense or something else happens, it is forgotten and there is no feeling.

The material in this site is intended to be of general informational use and is not intended to constitute medical advice, probable diagnosis, or recommended treatments.