Liver cyst: what it is, symptoms, causes and treatment

A liver cyst, also called a hepatic cyst, is a small fluid-filled sac located in the liver, which usually does not cause symptoms. However, when the cyst is large or ruptures, it can cause symptoms such as pain on the right side of the belly, abdominal swelling or nausea, for example.

This type of cyst is more common in women, and may be present from birth due to a malformation of the bile ducts, but can also occur in adulthood due to an infection with parasites, or the use of oral contraceptives.

Liver cysts generally do not require treatment, but in many cases, a hepatologist or general practitioner recommends periodic consultations and exams to monitor the growth of the cyst. In more serious situations, the doctor may recommend surgery to remove the cyst.

Main symptoms

The main symptoms of a liver cyst are:

• Abdominal pain on the right side, below the rib;
• Abdominal swelling;
• Weight loss;
• Nausea or vomiting;
• Feeling of a full belly;
• Fever above 38ºC;
• Yellow skin and eyes;
• Excessive tiredness.

Furthermore, in some cases symptoms such as coughing up blood or itching on the body, severe pain in the abdomen and right shoulder may appear. However, in general, the presence of a cyst in the liver does not lead to the appearance of signs or symptoms, and is only identified after routine examinations.

If you experience these symptoms, you should consult a hepatologist or general practitioner so that the diagnosis can be made and the most appropriate treatment can be initiated.

How to confirm the diagnosis

The diagnosis of a liver cyst is made by a hepatologist or general practitioner through evaluation of symptoms and imaging tests, such as ultrasound, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging.

Make an appointment with your nearest doctor to investigate the presence of a liver cyst:

In addition, the doctor may order blood tests, such as liver function tests or antigen tests, to check whether there is infection with the parasite. Echinococcus granulosus which is one of the main causes of liver cysts. Understand what the infection is Echinococcus granulosus.

Types of liver cyst

Liver cysts can be classified according to their cause, the main ones being:

• Simple cyst: it is the most common type of cyst that tends to be present from birth and is generally smaller than 4 cm in size, without causing symptoms;
• Pure hydatid: this type of cyst is caused by parasites, such as echinococcus, which are transmitted through contaminated food and water;
• Neoplastic cyst: is the rarest type of liver cyst that can be benign or malignant, such as cystadenoma or cystadenocarcinoma. They are generally multiple and large in size.

To identify the correct type of cyst, you should consult a hepatologist or general practitioner to carry out tests, such as ultrasound or computed tomography, for example.

Possible causes

The exact cause of the liver cyst is not known, however, several cases have been observed in which the cyst is present since birth, due to a malformation of the bile ducts or genetic changes that cause polycystic liver disease.

In addition, liver cysts can also develop throughout life due to infection with the parasite. Echinococcus granulosus or through the use of oral contraceptives or anabolic steroids, for example.

When is a liver cyst dangerous?

Most of the time, a liver cyst is not serious and is also not a sign of cancer, however, in some cases, the cyst can be dangerous, especially if it increases in size over time.

Furthermore, when the liver cyst is of a benign neoplastic type, such as cystadenoma, there is a greater risk of it becoming malignant (cystadenocarcinoma) and leading to liver cancer. In this case, the doctor may recommend treatment with surgery to remove the tumor. Find out more about how liver cancer is treated.

How the treatment is carried out

Treatment for a liver cyst must be guided by a hepatologist or general practitioner and depends on the type of cyst and its cause. In the case of a simple cyst, where there are no symptoms or the cyst is up to 4 cm in size, it is normally not necessary to undergo any type of specific treatment, with the doctor only recommending periodic consultations and exams, every 3 to 12 months, to assess the condition. cyst growth.

In the case of cysts that cause symptoms, the doctor may recommend surgery to remove the cyst, which can be performed by percutaneous aspiration or laparoscopy, for example. When malignancy is suspected, the surgeon can remove the cyst, collect a sample of the fluid and perform a biopsy in the laboratory, in order to understand whether there are cancer cells or not.

If cancer cells are identified, treatment may also include further surgery to remove part of the liver, chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or, in some cases, a liver transplant, for example. See how a liver transplant is performed.