How to examine the liver and gallbladder
Disease description:
My father's liver has never been in good condition. He used to have some minor issues, but has never undergone a systematic medical examination. I would like to ask, how can one check the liver and biliary system?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Jiang Chenggang
The methods for examining the liver and biliary system mainly include the following steps:
1. **Laboratory tests**: Initial blood tests, such as liver function tests, are performed to assess whether indicators like transaminases and bilirubin levels are within normal ranges, thereby evaluating the functional status of the liver.
2. **Imaging studies**: Imaging techniques such as ultrasound (B-mode), computed tomography (CT), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to directly observe the morphology, size, structure of the liver and biliary tract, as well as the presence of space-occupying lesions. These examinations are of great significance in diagnosing diseases such as fatty liver, cirrhosis, and liver cancer.
3. **Specialized tests**: For certain special cases, such as suspected biliary obstruction or lesions of undetermined nature, specialized procedures like percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) may be required to further clarify the diagnosis.
When performing examinations of the liver and biliary system, appropriate diagnostic methods should be selected based on the patient's specific symptoms, physical signs, and the physician's recommendations.
