The Sonographic Dimensions of the Liver at Normal Subjects Compared to Patients with Malaria

Abstract

Determination of the liver size with ultrasound is an important process in patients with Malaria compared with the normal subjects. The purpose of this study was to determine the measurements of liver size by ultrasonography in patients with malaria compared with healthy Sudanese subjects in order to detect extend of liver enlargement. That is many tropical diseases which affect the liver size. The study population composed of 145 cases that had been selected to satisfy the study. They were 105 normal subjects (65 males 40 females) and 40 patients with Malaria from Capital Khartoum were undergone ultrasound examination of the liver. The normal subjects were divided into 5 groups according to their ages (5-102 years). The anteroposterior and craniocaudal dimensions in addition to liver span of the liver with its right and left lobes were measured using the routine ultrasonography and the mean values were recorded. Data was analyzed using statistical software program. There was highly significant difference of mean liver span of normal subjects and patients with Malaria (12.86 vs. 14.272, p-value= 0.000). The mean craniocaudal diameters of the right and left liver lobes were 11.932 ± 2.02 cm and 9.042 ± 2.09 cm for normal subjects and Malaria patients respectively. Highly significant difference existed between anterioposterior diameters of right lobes between the normal subjects and patients with Malaria (12.495 vs. 13.303, p-value= 0.000) There was no significant difference in anteroposterior and craniocaudal dimensions of the left lobe between the normal subjects and patients with Malaria (5.025cm vs. 5.020cm, p-value= 0.938 and 9.079cm vs. 9.042cm, p-value= 0.903). Height was found to have significant correlation for the liver span followed by weight in the normal subjects. Malaria might not have impact on the size of the left lobe. The study concluded that ultrasound is an effective imaging tool and provides valuable data of volumetric analysis of the liver and its lobes in normal subjects and patients with Malaria which is of importance in the daily practice in radiology clinics since it was helpful in diagnosis of hepatomegaly.