Calcification in liver

[Phoenix]

Hi,

I''ve just had the report back from my health check as part of my China visa procedures and it says that I have "calcification in the liver" when they did the ultrasound scan and i was recommended to have regular follow-ups.

I''ve tried to google this but I just can''t figure out what it is that I have, how serious it is and what I should be doing about it. I''d like to go see a specialist but have no idea what kind of specialist this should.

Would very much appreciate any input or advice you may have.

 

[Phoenix]

Just figured out that I need to see a hepatologist.

Also, I have antibodies to Hep A from having grown up in Vietnam, though I've never had any of the heptatitis diseases and all my blood tests have always been negative.

This calcification could be something and then again it could be nothing> i think the next thing I should do is go have a CT scan and another ultrasound scan, even before i see the hepatologist.

I'd still appreciate any input or comment you guys may have.

 

[Amethyste]

Hello Dearie...
I know nothing about this condition, but I just want you to know that my positive thoughts are with you.
hugs to you....

 

[Lorelei]

Hi friend!

Hang in there P, I am sure it will be ok! As you know we do have some doctors here who might see this and be able to give you some advice.

(((((((((((hugs)))))))))))

 

[Phoenix]

Thank you so much, dear Amethyste and Lorelei. I do hope that the doctors on this board or someone with knowledge of this would see this thread and respond.

HUGS back.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 7/10/2009 8:14:31 AM
Author: Phoenix
Thank you so much, dear Amethyste and Lorelei. I do hope that the doctors on this board or someone with knowledge of this would see this thread and respond.

HUGS back.

I will try and catch Jstar and see if she has any advice for you P! She should be around later and is often in RT.

 

[Phoenix]

Awwww!! That''s so sweet of you, Lorelei. Thank you.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 7/10/2009 8:39:45 AM
Author: Phoenix
Awwww!! That''s so sweet of you, Lorelei. Thank you.

Most welcome! I will keep an eye out for her, IceKid or one of the others, bound to be one of the docs on later!

 

[Phoenix]

Date: 7/10/2009 8:41:28 AM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 7/10/2009 8:39:45 AM
Author: Phoenix
Awwww!! That''s so sweet of you, Lorelei. Thank you.

Most welcome! I will keep an eye out for her, IceKid or one of the others, bound to be one of the docs on later!

Thank you so much, Lorelei. You really are so kind, thank you.

 

[neatfreak]

Well it is probably a different thing but one of my twins had a hepatic calcification when he was in utero. It ended up being absolutely nothing. So I hope that is the same case for you!

 

[Phoenix]

Date: 7/10/2009 8:57:51 AM
Author: neatfreak
Well it is probably a different thing but one of my twins had a hepatic calcification when he was in utero. It ended up being absolutely nothing. So I hope that is the same case for you!

I''m glad to hear your son is fine.

Thanks for your kind words, Neatfreak. I certainly hope so too.

 

[Dandi]

Hi Phoenix,

I don't know a great deal about the physiology regarding calcification of the liver specifially, but calcification is basically hardening of the tissue that makes up an organ, in your case the liver. As the liver's job is to filter blood for infections and toxins, it picks up if there's infection present in the body, and as part of the body's inflammatory response, sometimes creates granulomas (areas of inflammation, like 'scar tissue') to 'wall off' the infection, for lack of a better term.

Some liver granulomas contain calcium deposits. That indicates that the granulomas have been there for a fairly long time, because it takes a long time for calcium to deposit into a granuloma. The calcium causes them to gradually calcify/harden and this is what can be seen on scans. My guess would be that the calcifications on your liver are the result of an old infection, and they could have been there for quite a while. Obviously it's wise to keep a regular eye on them though. Because calcification is also known as granuloma, perhaps you'd have better luck googling that for more info?

I've seen a calcified granuloma on a scan of a patient's lung who contracted tuberculosis years ago. The body responded with these little granulomas, and calcified over time. The patient recovered well but was left with calcifications in her lungs, which weren't trouble in themselves, just proof of the infection that had come and gone years earlier.

Also, I'm sure this has been eliminated in your case, but I've sometimes seen gallstones and calcification on the ribs seen on scans and mistaken for liver calcification, given their close proximity to the liver. Most granulomas/calcifications are found by chance during scans to investigate unrelated health issues, because they in themselves don't cause problems.

Gah, I really hope that helped, and made sense! Your hepatologist will advise you further of course, but in the meantime try not to worry! From how I read your situation, it sounds like your liver has fought an infection of some sort in the past and is showing its battle scars. In that case, good for it!

All the best, love! xxx

 

[jstarfireb]

Hi Phoenix! There are quite a few things this could be, as you''ve already deduced. Most likely it''s a sign of a prior infection as DandiAndi mentioned. In that case it would be nothing at all to worry about. However, you should also know that tumors and whole-body illnesses (like sarcoidosis or tuberculosis) can cause this sort of thing. So you certainly should have it checked out. It''s really hard to say anything without knowing more of your medical history.

Some questions to ask yourself (don''t answer these online, just to think about yourself): Do you have any symptoms, or was this purely part of a screening exam? Any abdominal pain, especially on the upper right area (where the liver is)? Loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), easy bruising over the past few months to years? Anything that makes you think "hmm, this doesn''t seem right?" Do you have any major medical problems? Any family history of cancer or other serious illnesses, or autoimmune diseases? Did you grow up in an area where poverty is high and hygiene is poor (more likely to be a previous parasitic infection)? If you''re asymptomatic and generally healthy, it''s more likely to be benign.

I think you''re definitely on the right track to see a hepatologist and also get a scan. However, the hepatologist may recommend an MRI as opposed to a CT, or a study with contrast as opposed to one without, so I would hold off on getting the scan until you see them. Otherwise you might be put through an extra scan for nothing. They will also want to get liver function tests and perhaps a few other blood tests, maybe even a biopsy, depending on what they think it is. If you can''t get an appointment with a hepatologist soon enough, then see your internist or family doctor. And try your best not to panic and worry about what it could be, although that''s far easier said than done!

Best of luck to you, and I hope it turns out to be nothing!

 

[Beacon]

Hi Phoenix, I don''t know anything about this type of problem but just wanted to say that I hope it proves to be nothing at all, just something that they found by accident that is harmless.

Maybe a doctor can comment - I did not realize that calcifications were frequently visible on ultrasound. My radiologist (who just found calcs on my breast) told me they were hard to see on ultrasound, and in my case they are not visible on ultrasound, only on the mammogram.

Phoenix, I would wait til a specialist examines you before getting very worried. You never know, maybe you don''t even have any calcifications and they just thought they were calcifications.

I hope for the best for you - I am sure you will be fine.

 

[Phoenix]

Date: 7/10/2009 9:44:45 AM
Author: DandiAndi
Hi Phoenix,

I don't know a great deal about the physiology regarding calcification of the liver specifially, but calcification is basically hardening of the tissue that makes up an organ, in your case the liver. As the liver's job is to filter blood for infections and toxins, it picks up if there's infection present in the body, and as part of the body's inflammatory response, sometimes creates granulomas (areas of inflammation, like 'scar tissue') to 'wall off' the infection, for lack of a better term.

Some liver granulomas contain calcium deposits. That indicates that the granulomas have been there for a fairly long time, because it takes a long time for calcium to deposit into a granuloma. The calcium causes them to gradually calcify/harden and this is what can be seen on scans. My guess would be that the calcifications on your liver are the result of an old infection, and they could have been there for quite a while. Obviously it's wise to keep a regular eye on them though. Because calcification is also known as granuloma, perhaps you'd have better luck googling that for more info?

I've seen a calcified granuloma on a scan of a patient's lung who contracted tuberculosis years ago. The body responded with these little granulomas, and calcified over time. The patient recovered well but was left with calcifications in her lungs, which weren't trouble in themselves, just proof of the infection that had come and gone years earlier.

Also, I'm sure this has been eliminated in your case, but I've sometimes seen gallstones and calcification on the ribs seen on scans and mistaken for liver calcification, given their close proximity to the liver. Most granulomas/calcifications are found by chance during scans to investigate unrelated health issues, because they in themselves don't cause problems.

Gah, I really hope that helped, and made sense! Your hepatologist will advise you further of course, but in the meantime try not to worry! From how I read your situation, it sounds like your liver has fought an infection of some sort in the past and is showing its battle scars. In that case, good for it!

All the best, love! xxx

Thank you so much for your detailed reply and infor, DandiAndi.

What you've said makes a lot of sense. It is possible that these calcifications could be on my rib cage, as the health check report is very general (and was done for visa purposes), so it doesn't detail the location of the granulomas.

It is quite possible also that the calcifications are the result of a previous infection that I had. I had a hysterosalpingogram in 2002 to see if my tubes were blocked as we were TTC. As it turned out, my tubes were not blocked but I had a severe and painful reaction to either the dye/ tube (not sure what it was), and it developed into an infection that lasted several months and I had to take five courses of strong antibiotics for. I had pain in my abdomen for several years later which I think were the adhesions that formed after the infection, but the pain now seems to have gone away (thank GOD!). So I really hope that it is what the calcifications are, the "battle scars" from this infection.

ETA: if the scan/ MRT shows up a mass or lesion in addition or next to the calcifications/ granulomas, that would be something I'd have to look closer into. Would that be correct?

Thank you so much once again for your help and for your kind wishes.

 

[Phoenix]

Date: 7/10/2009 2:17:31 PM
Author: jstarfireb
Hi Phoenix! There are quite a few things this could be, as you've already deduced. Most likely it's a sign of a prior infection as DandiAndi mentioned. In that case it would be nothing at all to worry about. However, you should also know that tumors and whole-body illnesses (like sarcoidosis or tuberculosis) can cause this sort of thing. So you certainly should have it checked out. It's really hard to say anything without knowing more of your medical history.

Some questions to ask yourself (don't answer these online, just to think about yourself): Do you have any symptoms, or was this purely part of a screening exam? Any abdominal pain, especially on the upper right area (where the liver is)? Loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), easy bruising over the past few months to years? Anything that makes you think 'hmm, this doesn't seem right?' Do you have any major medical problems? Any family history of cancer or other serious illnesses, or autoimmune diseases? Did you grow up in an area where poverty is high and hygiene is poor (more likely to be a previous parasitic infection)? If you're asymptomatic and generally healthy, it's more likely to be benign.

I think you're definitely on the right track to see a hepatologist and also get a scan. However, the hepatologist may recommend an MRI as opposed to a CT, or a study with contrast as opposed to one without, so I would hold off on getting the scan until you see them. Otherwise you might be put through an extra scan for nothing. They will also want to get liver function tests and perhaps a few other blood tests, maybe even a biopsy, depending on what they think it is. If you can't get an appointment with a hepatologist soon enough, then see your internist or family doctor. And try your best not to panic and worry about what it could be, although that's far easier said than done!

Best of luck to you, and I hope it turns out to be nothing!

Jstar, thank you very much for your reply and all the detailed infor and the questions that I should be asking myself too. Yours and DandiAndi's are certainly making me ask questions which in turn will be questions and issues that I will be discussing with the doctors.

I don't mind answering these questions on this forum, especially if it'd help you and anyone else to provide more infor, as the more infor I have, the more equipped I'd be when I go to see the doctors. This was part of a general screening. I do not have the symptoms that you described, ie. no yellowing of the skin, no problem in the eyes. I've lost weight in the past six months up to about three-four months ago, but this was on purpose - otherwise my weight has been constant in the last few months, fluctuating only by 2-3 lbs. I am tired but not overly so, but it's only because we've moved houses and countries and have had a lot of cleaning and packing/ unpacking to do.

Another Q I'd like to ask you is how do I know if I've had a parasitic infection? Sorry to sound stupid, but I just want to eliminate as many possibilities as possible. Also, Vietnam, where we grew up is a third world country. We as a family have always practiced good hygiene, but of course this does not guarantee that the food we ate outside and the people whom we came into contact with were clean and free of diseases/ bacteria/ viruses. Our next door neighbours had TB and as a result one of my brothers also developed TB but he's been treated for this and is now completely cured/ symptom-free. I've had TB tests and know that I have the antibodies but other than that no problem. We do not have any family history of cancer.

I have had some medical problems, however. First, I have some fibroids and also have had SEVERE pain the abdomen (as a result of an infection following a hysterosalpingogram, which infection has now cleared up). The pain though was more in the lower abdomen, on the right; and not in the upper right quadrant, where I *think* the liver is). The pain seems to have now mostly gone.

Second, I have hashimotos which obviously affects my immune system. I've suffered hair loss and actually weight gain (from where I was a few years ago, which as mentioned I've now managed to lose) as a result of this. I now am on thyroxin which seems to control the symptoms of hashimotos. My antibodies level is still high but all the other indicators are within normal ranges. My endocrinologist has assured me that this is fine. My mother had major problems, high blood pressure, DVT, weight gain and then severe weight loss. She eventually died from a stroke and I think she may have had problems with her thyroid but this was never diagnosed.

The latest problem I have is shortness of breathe and wheezing. I also sometimes feel some tightness (not so much pain) in the chest. I'm still taking medication/ using inhalers for this problem. My respiratory Dr seems to think that this is the result of a previous bronchitis and she calls what I have "sub-acute" bronchitis. I certainly hope that it is no more than this.

Many thanks for suggestions to get an MRI and also other liver / blood tests. I certainly do not rule out a biopsy if this is what the Dr(s) order.

I will try not to worry. I'd like to get as much infor as possible, before I go see the doctors as well as when I see them.

Thank you so very much for writing in with all this infor and questions. I really appreciate your help.

 

[Phoenix]

Date: 7/10/2009 7:32:24 PM
Author: Beacon
Hi Phoenix, I don''t know anything about this type of problem but just wanted to say that I hope it proves to be nothing at all, just something that they found by accident that is harmless.

Maybe a doctor can comment - I did not realize that calcifications were frequently visible on ultrasound. My radiologist (who just found calcs on my breast) told me they were hard to see on ultrasound, and in my case they are not visible on ultrasound, only on the mammogram.

Phoenix, I would wait til a specialist examines you before getting very worried. You never know, maybe you don''t even have any calcifications and they just thought they were calcifications.

I hope for the best for you - I am sure you will be fine.

Beacon,

Thank you for your reply and kind wishes. It is quite amazing, if I hadn''t had the screening for my China visa, this might never have come out. In any case, I still hope that it is nothing, but am keeping a watchful eye.

Good luck with your biopsy on the 16th. I will be thinking of you and hope that it will turn out to be nothing too.

HUGS and am also sending truck loads of PS dust your way.

 

[Phoenix]

Thank you again, Lorelei, for your help.

Lots of love, everyone.

Lien.

 

[Lorelei]

Most welcome L and thanks so much Jstar for the detailed advice!!

 

[kencamsgrannie]

You sound just like me. I had routine blood test and it revealed high liver levels, had the CT and it showed calcifications. I was told that it could be several treatable things from my family doctor however I am going to a specialist this coming Monday. If I were you, I would seek advice from a specialist to just make sure as I understand from my doctor that to find out the high levels early is a plus. Usually one doesn''t know there is a liver problem until it is full blown. Early is treatable.

 

[Phoenix]

Thank you so much to everyone who has responded, Lorelei, DandiAndi, Jstar, Amethyste, Neatfreak, Beacon and Ken.

I have wonderful news, I went to see a hepatologist in Singapore and had a CT scan done. Everything is fine. He also looked at my liver test results done in China (which I couldn''t read because i) it was in Chinese and ii) it was full of medical jargon). I do NOT have cancer, or anything of the sort. Apparently, it''s just scarring from a previous infection. He reckons that I must have had worms (yikeesss!!) as a child and hence a parasitic infection, which went away and healed up, just like DandiAndi and Jstar have said (thanks again, ladies and also Lorelei for your wonderful help).

Ken, hope your test went ok.

HUGS.

 

[Dandi]

Wooohoooo, great news Phoenix!!

That must be a load off your mind. Excellent news.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 8/7/2009 1:42:50 AM
Author: Phoenix
Thank you so much to everyone who has responded, Lorelei, DandiAndi, Jstar, Amethyste, Neatfreak, Beacon and Ken.

I have wonderful news, I went to see a hepatologist in Singapore and had a CT scan done. Everything is fine. He also looked at my liver test results done in China (which I couldn''t read because i) it was in Chinese and ii) it was full of medical jargon). I do NOT have cancer, or anything of the sort. Apparently, it''s just scarring from a previous infection. He reckons that I must have had worms (yikeesss!!) as a child and hence a parasitic infection, which went away and healed up, just like DandiAndi and Jstar have said (thanks again, ladies and also Lorelei for your wonderful help).

Ken, hope your test went ok.

HUGS.

SO glad to hear this great news!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Phoenix]

DandiAndi, Lorelei, you ladies are wonderful. Thank you again.

 

[Beacon]

Phoenix - I am so glad to hear this really good news!!! What a load off your mind and a big relief. Thrilled for you, seriously!

Mary