Liver cysts can be best described as tiny sacs filled with fluid that develop on the liver. Nearly all of them are noncancerous (benign), without any symptoms. Usually, doctors leave them alone, as they require no treatment, but in some cases, they might need medical attention.
Simple cysts, or benign liver cysts, are the most common form of growth occurring on the liver, with around 15 to 18% of the US population having them. On a global scale, the number of patients with benign liver cysts is between five to ten percent. In this article, Dr. Omar Rashid and his expert team will discuss the most common liver cyst symptoms, the causes, and the possible treatment options.
Liver Cysts: Are They Cancerous?
Before we get into the details, we should address the most prominent concern on patients’ minds: are these growths cancerous? These benign cysts usually stay noncancerous, with only a small percent of them turning precancerous or cancerous. Generally speaking, around one to five percent of all liver cysts can become precancerous, and only 30% become malignant. Needless to say, these cancerous cysts will be immediately addressed with surgery, and often, surgery is the route experts recommend if patients are experiencing liver cyst symptoms.
Types of Liver Cysts
While more or less all of these growths are benign and stay tiny enough to remain asymptomatic, there are rare cases when liver cysts produce symptoms are cause danger. Also, two distinct types of cystic liver problems will often require surgery or some kind of treatment:
- PLD or Polycystic liver disease: This is a rare genetic condition that affects only one to ten people in 100,000. People with polycystic liver disease will often have larger cyst clusters on their livers which may sometimes resemble large grapes. Even then, only around 20% with polycystic liver disease will show symptoms later in adulthood when the larger liver causes distention in the belly area and discomfort. Usually, medical experts address the problem with surgery or medication.
- Echinoccal cysts or Hydatid disease: This condition is caused by parasites that are typically passed to people from sheep and dogs, most often through the water. Slowly, the parasites grow into cysts on the liver and other bodily areas. Hydatid disease can lead to several problems if left untreated, such as jaundice, eosinophilia, or fever. For the most part, providers address this hydatid disease with medication to kill the parasites and surgery for cyst removal.
Can Benign Liver Cysts
There are some medical studies that suggest that these cysts may go away on their own without any treatment. Still, you should remember that most of these cysts will remain benign and asymptomatic to cause any problems. And even then, larger cysts can be effectively treated with surgery.
Liver Cyst Symptoms and Causes
Most of these growths are congenital, which means that patients are born with them, and medical experts aren’t sure what causes these congenital phenomena.
When it comes to liver cyst symptoms, most experts will agree that both benign and cancerous cysts tend to be asymptomatic. Still, those who do experience any signs will usually have the following problems:
- Bloated or distended belly
- Lack of appetite
- Feeling full after eating only a little
- Dull pain in the belly’s upper right area
- Shortness of breath
- Jaundice
- Feeling larger lumps in the belly
- Acute belly pain and fever if a cyst ruptures
Diagnosing Liver Cysts
For the most part, providers discover and diagnose these cysts via imaging tests for other conditions only by accident. The imaging tests used may include the following:
- CT scans or computed tomography: These scans use X-rays and computing power to recreate three-dimensional representations of the patient’s bones and soft tissues.
- Ultrasound: This imaging test uses high-frequency soundwaves to create real-time videos or images of the patient’s tissues and internal organs.
- MRI or magnetic resonance imaging: This imaging method uses computing power and radio waves to produce precise images of the patient’s bodily structures and organs.
When providers establish the presence of liver cysts during these tests, they will also recommend follow-up appointments to ensure that all cysts are benign and none are malignant or precancerous. Also, during these follow-up tests, providers will look for signs of hydatid disease or polycystic liver disease.
During the follow-up examination, the doctor may perform the following tests:
- A physical examination
- Ask you about your medical history. They will ask whether you have a history of chronic liver disease or if there were any other liver problems in your family.
- Contrast-enhanced ultrasound sends high-frequency sound waves through the body, recording images and videos of your organs and bodily structures.
- Serodiagnostic tests that identify particular antibodies in blood samples.
Liver Cyst Treatment
As mentioned above, most benign cysts will require no treatment. Still, larger benign growths will most likely be removed, especially if they are causing symptoms or discomfort.
Surgical interventions and other procedures that providers use to remove larger benign cysts, cancerous, precancerous growths, and disease-induced liver cysts are usually the following:
- Cyst fenestration, which removes the cyst’s walls, treating larger cysts
- Percutaneous aspiration that uses CT or ultrasound to insert catheters or needles into the cysts and drain them
- Surgery to remove cancerous or benign growths
- Hepatic resection, which removes the cyst-affected areas of the liver
- TACE, or transarterial embolization, which works by injecting anti-cancer drugs into an artery that carries blood to the liver and then injecting another substance to block that artery; the second substance acts like a dam, keeping the anti-cancer drug in the liver around the malignant tumors
- Liver transplantation may also be used in cases of polycystic liver disease that won’t respond to other surgeries or medications to get rid of liver cysts.
Prevention
As mentioned already, most cysts are present already at birth. Also, after establishing a diagnosis, most patients will have little to worry about.
Most benign cysts won’t even cause symptoms. In these cases, health providers will usually recommend regular follow-up tests to make sure the cysts aren’t changing or growing.
On the other hand, other patients might need to undergo surgery to remove cancerous or larger benign cysts. Once removed, these growths rarely come back, but your provider will probably schedule a few follow-up appointments to be sure.
Explore Your Options
Most people find out about their liver cysts during testing for other medical reasons. And while learning about unexpected health conditions isn’t particularly good news, it can be comforting to know that the majority of these cysts are benign and asymptomatic. As such, your provider will only recommend regular monitoring appointments to make sure the growths don’t change.
On that end, if you have any more concerns or questions regarding liver cysts, feel free to reach out to Dr. Rashid and his compassionate staff.