| Liver span | |
|---|---|
 Anterior view of the position of the liver (red) in the human abdomen. |
Theliver span is a measurement performed during physical examination to determine the size of theliver and identify possiblehepatomegaly.
It is the distance between the lower border of the liver in themid-clavicular line obtained bypalpation, and the upper border of the liver in the mid-clavicular line detected bypercussion (the upper border of the liver lies behind the ribs and can not be palpated). More accurate methods of estimating liver span include ultrasound and cross-sectional imaging (computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging).[1]
Normal liver span is 6–12 cm (2.4–4.7 in), but varies with age, height, and weight.[2][3][4] Depending on the physician's technique, estimates of the same liver span can vary by 8 cm (3.1 in), on average.[5]
