Anyone had an ultrasound on their liver?

[CheeryCherry]

Have been told I have had abnormal liver results after a general blood test, now am boing sent for a scan.
Hardly ever drink,don't take tablets v often and have no pain.
I am wondering what else it could be, and anyone elses experiences?

I have because a CT scan showed up a lesion on my liver, but it turned out to be nothing. I think all sorts of things could cause it - gall bladder possibly?, they will probably tell you the result on the spot - it takes about ten minutes or so. have you been told what they think it could be?

Thanks KurriKurri, the gp hinted at maybe some kind of liver disease but was rather vague - I think not to scare me!Will be impressed if I get results at the time...usually have to wait for days for things like that.
Is it a bit like a baby scan then?

Are you overweight or diabetic? Have you ever had hepatitis or jaundice?
They may be looking for gallstones but generally gallstones don't give you abnormal liver function test.

Gp did mention gallstones but I thought that they would hurt?
Yes am overweight, not diabetic. Why?

Sorry, not had hep or jaundice.

You can get something called ' fatty liver' which occurs in some people who are overweight or diabetic - most commonly - tends to cause a reversible abnormality in liver function . Fatty liver will be apparent on ultrasound.

Do you know which liver function tests were abnormal - the pattern of abnormality can give a clue as to the cause.

Gallstones would not normally cause liver function abnormalities unless they got stuck which would be painful.

Gallstones can give you an abnormal liver function result - and they don't always show symptoms. My sister didn't even know she had gallstones until she had an ultrasound after persistently abnormal liver function tests and my best friend also didn't know she had a gallbladder filled to the brim with them until her ultrasound revealed them!

Sometimes you can have what's known as fatty liver disease which might show abnormal results but often this is something that gradual weight loss can sort out.

Too many possibles and lots of them without long term ill effects so not worth speculating and getting anxious about what it might be.
Wait until you've had the ultrasound, chat to the consultant about what it all means for you as an individual and don't worry about it in the meantime.
Good luck

Yes just like the baby ultrasound scans - totally painless, good luck - it will be good to get it sorted out

Sometimes gall stones are asymptomatic. I had 15 small stones but had the worse ever pain spasms.

Wow thanks all for sharing your knowledge. Not really worrying but may do when I get the scan appt!
Must make the effort to get some weight off, wish I could MN and excercise at the same time lol!

Exercise bike and i-phone - pedal while you post

I had abnormal liver results and then an ultrasound which showed that all was fine with my liver.

In my case it was an undiagnosed underactive thyroid which caused the wonky liver results and once I was sorted out with thyroid meds, the liver results returned to normal.
HTH

Yes.. I had sky high liver blood tests after I had my last baby and was feeling pretty awful.

Got sent for an ultrasound on liver. There's lots of possibilities - most pretty treatable like gallbladder or pretty minor. The doctor seemed to think in my case it was probably fatty liver or hepatitis but I tested negative for both. A couple of months later, I was feeling a lot better and my results came down to normal on a blood test. It was all a bit of a mystery and put down to either a virus or hormones.

I was scared stiff at the time, but it really is quite common I think.

I had this done a couple of weeks ago as my Gamma GT is high.

Nothing bad found.

Gamma GT still high but consultant not too worried.

A liver biopsy has also been mentioned but I will resist this furiously.

I feel fine so see no need for anything invasive.

I have high blood sugar & cholesterol & am trying to get these down as it is more than likely this that is messing up the liver function tests.

Yes just like ultrasound for baby - they will probably do the whole stomach to look at kidneys, gallbladder, etc, so wear somethign you don't mind getting messy!

I had it done yesterday - I have got gallstones and you could see them very clearly on the scan - quite interesting really and very reassuring that the ultrasound lady had a good look at everything else she could find, so I know my kidneys, liver and pancreas appear to be normal. I was a bit afraid though as a couple of days before the local hospice sent round a fund raising letter with one of their patients saying " I thought I was fit and healthy before I had a test, now I know I've got pancreatic cancer and I'm going to die" Irresponsible or what? It really put me off sending them any money becaue it was so scaremongering it would have petrified lots of people. In the end I came out of the hospital feeling jolly pleased I've only got gallstones.

Thanks for all your posts...I got my appointment date today. And a letter to say I should eat no fibre at all the day before - no fruit,veg,cereal etc?! Whats all that about?
Romaniabound, yes I too have an underactive thyroid, and like Diddl I prob have high cholesterol so maybe it is that too.
Will see!

I've got one for tomorrow but it doesn't say that on mine... it says nothing at all to eat or drink for 6 hours before .

Yes nothing to eat for 6 hours, then 1 and a half pints of liquid and no dashes to the loo! But yes it says to eat no fibre at all the day before. Wonder why?? Its all a bit wierd. Good luck for tomorrow shockers!

And to you for yours! Let us know how you get on won't you?

You are asked to avoid the fibre rich food and fast so that your stomach is empty. Fibre is 'high residue' so needs to be avoided for longer. You need an empty stomach for a couple of reasons - if it is full it can obscure the view of other organs, especially the pancreas and the bile ducts coming from the liver, secondly, after you eat, your gallbladder contracts to empty out bile, so it will be difficult to see on the scan.

If you have to drink before hand, it is because they might look at your pelvis as well and you need a full bladder, although that is operator dependent and might not be done in your case with your indication for the scan!

Most radiologists (i.e., a doctor) will give you a summary of what they see to put your mind at rest. You may be scanned by a sonographer though, and sometimes they have more strict rules about giving out info to patients until they have their images reviewed by a consultant. either way, hope all goes well!

Wonder why my letter doesn't mention fibre? What would you have for breakfast? I'm thinking scrambled eggs.
I have to go to work, my scan isn't til 3.30 and I can't have a drink all day!

Thanks for that biscuits (want one?), yes it says on the form it will be a scan for both liver and pelvis. I don't know why that is either. It all feels curiouser and curiouser...am not used to not knowing things! Why look at the pelvis? But your fibre explanation makes sense so thankyou.
Shockers I will let you know, you do too huh?

yes please [no biscuits] shit, there goes my diet.

some hospitals protocol the cards on a just incase basis, so that if the information from the GP is completely different to the patient's story they can alter the scan accordingly without having to reappoint them, for example if a GP says right upper quadrant pain (suggests liver/gallbladder) but the patient says that the pain is over the kidneys then they might scan the pelvis too to look at the bladder.

(can you guess what I'm doing tomorrow morning?! )