Experience in the treatment of simple hepatic cysts in a tertiary care hospital

Introduction and Objectives

Simple hepatic cysts have a low prevalence. Most are diagnosed by finding, some produce pain, are characterized by ultrasound or tomography and the indications for treatment are pain and risk of rupture. This study aims to report experience in the treatment of patients with simple liver cysts over a 5-year period.

Materials and Patients

Retrospective, descriptive, observational study of a cohort of patients with simple liver cysts with an indication for drainage and sclerosis. Descriptive statistics with measures of central tendency and dispersion were used.

Results

75 patients with hepatic cysts were included, 35 men (46.6%), age 48‡ 10.3 years, 40 Women (53%) age 45+ 8 years; the average number of cysts per patient treated was 1.3, with a mean cyst size of 13+ 3 cm, By location were similar in any of the two lobes, the most frequent presenting symptom was pain in 70 patients (93.3%), the rest were due to risk of rupture to the abdominal cavity and/or thorax; 90 cysts were drained and sclerosed guided by ultrasound, using absolute alcohol in a volume of 20% in relation to the size of the cyst, in 100% a decrease of the cyst was observed until remission, no complications were reported, The average follow-up was 15 months and there was recurrence in only 3 cases (4%).

Conclusions

The drainage and excision of simple hepatic cysts in expert hands represents an effective and safe alternative in the treatment of symptomatic cysts or with a risk of rupture; recurrence in this treatment is infrequent. No complications were observed.

Ethical Statement: This study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles of our hospital center. All data were handled with strict confidentiality and for research purposes only.

Declaration of interests: None.

Funding: This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.