To evaluate liver health, your doctor may order blood tests, an ultrasound, and even a biopsy, as these are tests that provide important information about changes in your organ.
The liver is involved in the digestion and metabolism of food and, in addition, it is through it that they ingest the drugs, for example. Therefore, in case of liver dysfunction, the person may have more difficulty digesting fats correctly, need to follow a particular diet and avoid the use of over-the-counter medications. Check liver functions.
Tests your doctor may prescribe to evaluate your liver health include:
Whenever your doctor has to evaluate liver health, he or she begins ordering a blood test called a blood countogram, which evaluates: AST, ALT, GGT, albumin, bilirubin, lactate dehydrogenase and prothrombin time. These tests are usually controlled together and provide important information about the condition of the liver, modifying in case of injury, as they are very sensitive markers. Learn how to understand the ALT exam and the AST exam.
These tests may also be prescribed when the person has symptoms of liver damage, such as yellow skin, dark urine, abdominal pain, or swelling of the liver area. However, your doctor may also order these tests when you need to evaluate a person’s liver who takes medication daily, consumes many alcoholic beverages, or has a condition that affects them directly or indirectly.
Ultrasound, elasticography, COMPUTed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are able to demonstrate through computer-generated images how the liver structure is located, allowing the technician to easily identify the presence of cysts or tumors. It may also be helpful, in some cases, to evaluate the passage of blood through the organ.
Your doctor usually orders this type of test when blood tests are abnormal or when your liver is heavily inflamed. It may also be indicated after a car or sports accident when organic damage is suspected.
Biopsy is usually requested when your doctor has noticed significant changes in test results, such as an increase in ALAT, AST, or GGT, and especially when a lump or cyst is detected in your liver during ultrasound.
This test can indicate whether liver cells are normal, severely affected by diseases, such as cirrhosis, or if there are cancer cells so that the diagnosis can be made and appropriate treatment can be initiated. The biopsy is performed with a needle that penetrates the skin and reaches the liver, and small pieces are removed from the organ, which are sent to the lab and analyzed by visual under the microscope. See what it’s for and how liver biopsy is done.