Alcoholic liver disease echocardiography or ultrasound

Echocardiography/ultrasound may be helpful in the diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease. Since ultrasound is a non invasive technique it is used for initial evaluation of the liver. Findings on an ultrasound are suggestive of underlying liver disease but they can not confirm the etiology. However ultrasound can be used to exclude other causes of abnormal liver tests in patients who abuse alcohol; infiltrative disease, neoplastic disease, obstructive biliary pathology, cirrhosis or screen for hepatocellular carcinoma. Echocardiography can be used to detect hepatic cardiomyopathy and the severity of volume overload in cirrhotic patients.

• Echocardiography/ultrasound may be helpful in the diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease. Findings on an echocardiography/ultrasound suggestive of underlying liver disease include:
  • Ultrasound:^[1][2][3][4]
    • Appearance of fat on the liver is variable
    • Hyperechoic texture is suggestive of fatty liver
    • Hyperechoic mass is suggestive of macroscopic fat on the liver
    • The sensitivity and specificity for detecting hepatic steatosis is only increased when there is greater than thirty percent fat in the liver
    • A coarsened echo pattern is suggestive of hepatic fibrosis
    • A nodular liver contour is suggestive of hepatic cirrhosis
  • Echocardiography:^[5]
    • Increased left ventricular end diastolic dimension (LVEDD) in cirrhotic patients

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