Kidney enlargement occurs with a variety of disorders. Signs and symptoms most often occur when the enlargement develops suddenly.

The thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland located just under the skin at the base of the neck that regulates the body's energy rate, including heart pulse and blood pressure. The thyroid can become enlarged for many reasons, including production of too much or too little thyroid hormone, reports MayoClinic.com.

In men, the prostate is a gland the size and shape of a walnut that surrounds part of the urethra, and makes some of the fluid portion of semen. The prostate can enlarge and cause urinary problems in a non-cancerous condition called benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH.

An integral part of the digestive system, the pancreas produces enzymes for digestion and insulin for glucose, or sugar, breakdown, according to Jackson Siegelbaum Gastroenterology in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. Diseases of the pancreas can destroy this organ and are frequently the cause for an enlarged pancreas.

Enlarged kidneys are uncommon and are usually related to a few specific disorders that are caused by birth defects, structural abnormalities, infection, pregnancy, blockage and injury.

The liver is the largest organ in the abdominal cavity. Located predominantly in the upper right quadrant, of the abdomen, the liver performs over 400 different processes that sustain a healthy body. When exposed to disease, the liver can enlarge, a condition referred to as hepatomegaly.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate. This enlargement obstructs the flow of urine and causes symptoms including intermittent and weak urine streams, straining to urinate, incomplete bladder emptying, sudden uncontrollable urges to urinate and increased urinary frequency.

The liver is an important organ located in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen. Its functions include producing proteins that are important for blood clotting, processing fats, storing sugar for energy use, filtering the blood of waste products and metabolizing ingested medications.