What is a Liver Cyst? How to Treat Liver Cyst?

Liver cysts are benign (non-cancerous) growths that form in the liver. As long as there are no symptoms, these fluid-filled sacs rarely require treatment because they generally do not affect liver function. In most cases, people with a single cyst (known as a simple cyst) do not experience symptoms. Others may develop a disease known as polycystic liver disease and may have multiple cystic growths on their livers. Even with polycystic liver disease, the liver can continue to work as it should. In general, liver cysts can affect people between the ages of 30 and 70, but only 10% to 15% of people develop significant symptoms. More women are born with liver cysts than men, and more men develop liver cysts than women. Liver cysts are usually found by chance when you’re screened for something else. Most liver cysts do not cause any problems and do not need to be treated.

What is a Liver Cyst?

Liver cysts are thin-walled sacs filled with air, liquid or semi-solid material. liver cyst It occurs in approximately 5% of people. The majority of cysts are benign, but all cancers can produce malignant cysts. Patients typically present with a single liver cyst, but sometimes multiple cysts may develop. Liver cysts rarely impair the liver’s ability to function.

Health care providers estimate that 15% to 18% of people in the United States and 5% to 10% of people worldwide have liver cysts.

What are the Symptoms of Liver Cyst?

Most people with benign or cancerous liver cysts never have symptoms. But in some cases liver cyst symptoms It may be reflected as follows;

• A dull ache in the upper right part of their abdomen
• swollen abdominal area
• Nausea and vomiting
• Loss of appetite and feeling of fullness after eating very little.
• feeling short of breath
• Jaundice: This can occur if liver cysts block your bile ducts.
• Fever and acute abdominal pain: This may occur if the cyst ruptures.

What Causes Liver Cyst?

Causes of liver cyst It is not known for certain. Some people develop liver cysts, while others are born with them. Even if liver cysts are present at birth, they may not be noticed until symptoms appear later in life.

People with polycystic liver disease can inherit the disease, but in some cases the condition can occur without a family history of the disease. The echinococcus parasite (a parasitic infection), which can cause infection through contaminated food, also appears to play a role in the development of liver cysts.

What are the Types of Liver Cysts?

If you are told that there is one or more cysts in the liver, it is very important to learn the type of cyst. Types of liver cysts is as follows:

• Simple cysts: The most common type of liver cyst. Most simple cysts cause no symptoms. It is usually found by chance during a scan for something else. It is treated only if symptoms begin to appear.
• Liver hydatid cysts: May also be called echinococcosis or hydatid disease. Cysts are caused by a type of parasite. It can happen in the liver or other parts of your body. Treatment is possible with medication and surgery.
• Polycystic liver disease: As a genetic disorder, it causes many cysts to form in the liver.
• Biliary cystadenoma: It is usually a large liver cyst. It is more common in women. It causes symptoms of fullness and abdominal pain. It may increase the risk of cancer. Treatment is usually liver surgery.
• Liver hemangioma: It is a liver cyst consisting of blood vessels, usually benign and treatable.
• Traumatic cysts (pseudocysts): Can be seen after liver injury.

How is a Liver Cyst Diagnosed?

Often, when healthcare professionals perform imaging tests for other conditions liver cyst diagnosis they do. Imaging tests that reveal liver cysts include:

• Ultrasound: Ultrasounds use high-frequency sound waves to create real-time pictures and videos of internal organs or other tissues.
• Computed tomography (CT) scan: CT scans use a series of x-rays and computers to create three-dimensional images of soft tissues and bones.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): This painless test uses a large magnet, radio waves, and a computer to produce very clear images of organs and structures in the body.

If healthcare professionals detect liver cysts during imaging tests, they may do the following to diagnose conditions such as precancerous or cancerous liver cysts, polycystic liver disease, or liver cysts caused by parasites:

• Physical Examination
• Medical history: Health care professionals may ask questions about your family medical history, as well as any history of chronic liver disease.
• Serodiagnostic tests: These tests are used to identify specific antibodies in blood samples.
• Contrast-enhanced ultrasound: With contrast-enhanced ultrasound, high-frequency sound waves are sent through body tissues and the echoes are recorded and converted into video or photographs.

How to Treat a Liver Cyst?

Liver cyst treatment It depends on the type of cyst. Most benign or simple liver cysts do not need to be treated. However, healthcare professionals can remove benign or simple liver cysts that are larger than 4 centimeters in diameter.

Procedures and surgeries to remove large benign cysts, cysts caused by polycystic liver disease, and precancerous or cancerous liver cysts include:

• Percutaneous aspiration: Health care professionals use ultrasound and CT imaging to insert needles or catheters into liver cysts and drain the cysts of fluid.
• Cyst fenestration: This surgery treats large cysts by removing the wall of the cyst.
• Liver resection: In this surgery, areas of the liver affected by cysts are removed.
• Transarterial embolization (TACE): Health care professionals inject anti-cancer drugs into one of your arteries that supply blood to your liver. A substance is then injected to block the artery. These substances act as a dam, allowing the anti-cancer drug to circulate around the tumor instead of flying away.
• Surgery: Preferred to remove benign or cancerous cysts.
• Liver transplant: This transplant treats polycystic liver disease that does not respond to medication or surgery to remove liver cysts.

Liver Cyst Surgery

Unlike kidney failure caused by polycystic kidney disease, PLD does not lead to liver failure and, in fact, most patients do not require surgery. However, if the liver becomes excessively enlarged due to cysts and puts pressure on nearby organs, surgery is required to open or remove the cysts.

Liver cyst surgery It can be performed using laparoscopic methods without making large incisions. During this procedure, which means closed surgery method, the surgeon makes 3-4 incisions in the abdominal area to see the inside of the abdomen more easily. A portal is inserted through the incisions and the abdomen is inflated with carbon dioxide. Then, a laparoscope is inserted into the abdomen to visualize the area. The procedure begins by placing surgical equipment through other incisions.

The cyst is removed and the surrounding tissues are cleaned and the procedure ends. The incisions are closed with special tape or small stitches. One or two days of hospital rest is recommended after this surgical procedure. When the patient is discharged, antibiotics may be given to prevent infection of the surgical area. Consuming soft foods and avoiding heavy lifting are recommended after surgery to avoid negative consequences during the treatment process.