organvikt

Organvikt, or organ weight, is the mass of a specific organ expressed in grams or kilograms. It is used as a quantitative parameter in anatomy, pathology, clinical medicine and veterinary science. Measurements can be obtained at autopsy or during surgery, and organs can also be assessed indirectly through imaging in living individuals. Organ weight is often reported in relation to body weight to allow comparison across individuals of different sizes.

Measurement and influencing factors

Organ weights can be measured directly in postmortem or surgical specimens. Postmortem changes, such as fluid redistribution, edema, or dehydration, can affect the measured weight. In living subjects, imaging techniques like MRI or CT can estimate organ size, though these are often less precise than direct measurement. Several factors influence organ weight, including age, sex, body size, nutritional status, hydration, and the presence of disease. In veterinary and toxicology settings, weights are frequently analyzed as relative organ weights (organ weight divided by body weight) to standardize comparisons across animals of different sizes.

Interpretation and applications

Abnormal organ weights can indicate pathology: hepatomegaly or splenomegaly reflect enlargement due to disease, while reduced weights may indicate atrophy or wasting. Relative organ weight is commonly used in research and clinical assessment to identify disproportionate changes independent of overall body size. Organ weight data support diagnoses, guide treatment decisions, and contribute to research in pharmacology, toxicology, and comparative anatomy.

Typical values

For adults, approximate organ weights include brain about 1.2–1.4 kg, liver around 1.4–1.6 kg, heart roughly 250–350 g, kidneys about 110–170 g each, spleen near 150 g, lungs together around 1.0–1.3 kg, and pancreas roughly 70–100 g. There is substantial individual variation, and values can differ by population, health status, and measurement method.