Correlation between clinical evaluation of liver size versus ultrasonography evaluation according to body mass index (BMI) and biotypes.

BACKGROUND Body weight may influence liver size. AIM To determine the correlation between clinical and ultrasound evaluation of the liver size according to body mass index (BMI). MATERIAL AND METHODS A cross-sectional study of 81 subjects aged 25 ± 6 years (43 females). Two percussion measurements were taken and ultrasonography was performed on the same site demarcated by percussion. RESULTS Mean BMI was 23 ± 4 kg/m². Nineteen individuals (23.5%) had a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m². There was a significant difference between the values of liver size obtained by clinical and ultrasound methods. The correlation coefficient between the liver size obtained by clinical and ultrasound methods was 0.419 (p < 0.01). No significant differences in liver size were observed, between subjects with a BMI below or over 25 kg/m². In all subjects, regardless of BMI, there was a statistically significant difference between the mean sizes obtained by both methods. The correlation coefficients between both methods in subjects with a BMI ≤ 25 Kg/m² and their counterparts with higher BMI were 0.47 and 0.03, respectively. CONCLUSIONS There are significant differences in liver size obtained by clinical examination and ultrasound. Only in subjects with BMI ≤ 25 kg/m², the correlation between the two techniques is significant.