Which term means an enlarged liver?

Which term means an enlarged liver?

• A. Liver Enlargement
• B. Hepatosplenomegaly
• C. Cirrhosis
• D. Hepatomegaly

Answer: (D)

Enlargement of an organ is described using a combining form for the organ plus the suffix that means enlargement. For the liver, that gives hepat/o + megaly, producing hepatomegaly. This term is the precise medical way to say the liver is larger than normal and is commonly used in clinical notes and exams. If the description were about both the liver and spleen being enlarged, the term would be hepatosplenomegaly, which is broader and not specific to the liver alone. Cirrhosis, on the other hand, refers to scarring and damage of the liver tissue rather than simply its size. “Liver enlargement” is a descriptive phrase but isn’t the standardized medical term.

Enlargement of an organ is described using a combining form for the organ plus the suffix that means enlargement. For the liver, that gives hepat/o + megaly, producing hepatomegaly. This term is the precise medical way to say the liver is larger than normal and is commonly used in clinical notes and exams.

If the description were about both the liver and spleen being enlarged, the term would be hepatosplenomegaly, which is broader and not specific to the liver alone. Cirrhosis, on the other hand, refers to scarring and damage of the liver tissue rather than simply its size. “Liver enlargement” is a descriptive phrase but isn’t the standardized medical term.