Liver cysts are usually detected incidentally on imaging examinations of the abdominal cavity. Liver cysts are rarely symptomatic in the early stages of development. Digestive system ailments appear only as they grow, but they rarely cause serious complications. What are the causes of liver cysts? What are the symptoms? What is their treatment?
Liver cystsare a heterogeneous group of diseases that differ in their causes and frequency, symptoms, and treatment. In most cases, liver cysts are benign, non-neoplastic changes that are detected accidentally during ultrasound of the abdominal cavity.
Liver cysts are usually asymptomatic in the early stages of development. These show up as the tumor grows. Then the risk of complications also increases, but serious complications, which can even lead to death, are rare.
Liver cysts - causes
- Simple liver cyst - most likely a congenital lesion.
- Liver cystadenoma - it is a benign cystic tumor of the liver. It occurs rarely, usually in adults, and much more often in women.
- Cystic adenocarcinoma - is the result of the transformation of benign cystic adenomas into a malignant tumor. It is mainly detected in elderly patients, although there are cases in 30-year-old patients. Tends to form metastases.
- Echinococcal cyst - the cause of its development is infection with the larval form of Echinococcosis .A person becomes infected through contact with a dog.
- Amoeba abscess - is the most common parenteral manifestation of protozoan infectionEntamoeba histolytica . Man becomes infected by ingesting protozoan cysts with food or water.
- Polycystic liver degeneration - may occur, among others, in people with inherited autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.
The likelihood of symptoms and the possibility of complications are directly proportional to the size of the cyst.
Liver cysts - symptoms
- Simple liver cyst - usually does not give symptoms, but if it causes discomfort, they are discomfort or moderate pain in the right upper abdomen andnausea.
- Liver cystadenoma - may be asymptomatic for many years, but as the tumor grows, there is pressure pain in the epigastrium and loss of appetite.
- Cystic adenocarcinoma - in the early stage of development it does not show any clear symptoms. Only later, non-specific symptoms appear, such as: fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, and ailments in the right hypochondrium.
- Echinococcosis cyst - the disease may be asymptomatic for many years. If symptoms appear, they include pain in the right hypochondrium area, a feeling of fullness in the upper abdomen, and sometimes jaundice.
- Amoeba abscess - nonspecific symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea appear. Physical examination shows tenderness of the right epigastrium and enlarged liver.
- Polycystic liver degeneration - as long as the cyst is not large enough, it shows no symptoms. Then you can find enlargement of the liver and symptoms resulting from its pressure on neighboring structures, e.g. abdominal pain.
Liver cysts - complications
The most serious complications include rupture with leakage of the contents of the cyst into the peritoneal cavity or bile ducts, haemorrhage and infection. In some cases, there may be complications specific to a specific type of cyst, e.g. anaphylactic shock (echinococcal cyst) or malignant neoplastic transformation (cystadenoma).
Liver cysts - diagnosis
Liver cysts are usually detected accidentally on ultrasound of the abdominal cavity. Then a CT scan or MRI is ordered to make a final diagnosis. Very rarely, a histological examination may be necessary for atypical changes.
Liver cysts - treatment
Surgical removal of the cyst is the most effective treatment in most cases. The exception is simple liver cyst. If its diameter is 40 mm or less, no action is taken. If it is greater than 40 mm, it is recommended to perform ultrasound examinations 2, 6, 12, 24 and 36 months after the last examination.
Surgical removal of the cyst is recommended only in patients with very large simple cysts of the liver, causing pain. On the other hand, in the case of an amoebic abscess, the patient is administered metronidazole orally or parenterally for 10-15 days. Patients with an abscess diameter greater than 60 mm and / or symptoms of toxemia, as well as those who do not respond to pharmacological treatment, undergo cyst evacuation.by percutaneous biopsy.