hepatomegaly
Meaning of hepatomegaly: Hepatomegaly is enlargement of the liver beyond its expected size.
Definition of hepatomegaly
Hepatomegaly means that the liver is enlarged. It is a physical or imaging finding rather than a single disease and may occur with liver inflammation, fat accumulation, impaired blood flow, infection, metabolic disease, heart failure, or benign or malignant growths. The cause is evaluated using the history, examination, laboratory tests, and imaging as appropriate.
How hepatomegaly is built
- hepat/o Combining form · Greek liver
- -megaly Suffix · Greek enlargement
A medical term is read from its ending backwards: the suffix first, then the prefix, then the root. See all 223 word parts.
Also known as
Used in a sentence
Ultrasound confirmed hepatomegaly noted during the physical examination.
Good to know
Hepatomegaly may cause no symptoms and does not by itself indicate how well the liver functions. When both the liver and spleen are enlarged, the finding is called hepatosplenomegaly.
Word origin
Where “hepatomegaly” comes from
Built from hepato-, meaning “liver,” and -megaly, meaning “enlargement.”