Liver & Gallbladder

Abdominal pain or fullness 

Nausea

Loss of appetite and weight loss 

Yellow skin and whites of eyes (Jaundice) 

Swelling in the abdomen or legs 

Tiredness and weakness 

Liver problems can have many causes, including excess alcohol use, viral infections that cause hepatitis, fatty liver (linked to alcohol, diet and weight), certain medications, and inherited conditions. In some cases liver damage can develop without obvious symptoms, which is why early detection through imaging can be so important.

Hepatic steatosis (fatty liver)

A build-up of fat in the liver, often linked to diet, weight, or alcohol, which can lead to inflammation or liver damage over time.

Cirrhosis

Scarring of the liver caused by long-term damage, which can affect how the liver functions.

Hepatomegaly

An enlarged liver, often a sign of underlying conditions such as infection, inflammation, or fatty liver disease.

Liver cysts

Fluid-filled sacs in the liver that are usually harmless but may need monitoring if large or symptomatic.

Abscess

A pocket of infection in the liver that may cause pain, fever, or illness and often requires treatment.

Haemangiomas

Common, benign blood vessel growths in the liver, typically harmless and found incidentally on scans.

The gallbladder usually doesn’t cause trouble, but certain foods can irritate it or slow down the flow of bile.

If there’s a problem with your gallbladder or bile ducts, you might feel pain in the upper right part of your belly. You could also notice pain that spreads to your back or chest, especially when breathing deeply, a fever, nausea, bloating, itchy skin or feeling unusually tired.

Other signs can include yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice), losing weight without trying, or changes in the colour of your urine or stools.

Ultrasound can help detect where gallstones are and how big they are, signs of infection, any blockage in the bile ducts or possible growths / tumours.

Make an appointment with your doctor if you have any ongoing symptoms mentioned on this page or if something feels wrong and is worrying you.

The blood test is carried out at the same appointment as your ultrasound scan, so everything is completed in one visit. The clinician will ask you a few basic questions and then take some blood from a vein in your arm. We will then send this to the lab for analysis. The time taken for results is specified on the individual blood test pages.

You can view your results on the web portal (provided by email) or by downloading the Forth app.

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