A visit to a general physician's chamber will involve routine examinations of eye, ear and tongue. Then after checking the weight, the doctor perhaps may ask us to lie in the 'used' bed to examine our abdomen. He will press the portion below the rib cage and we will be anxiously looking at his face for that verdict on the status of our abdomen. The doctor is actually examining our liver which is situated below our rib cage. It is one of the vital organs of our body, large in size and it supports important functions like digestion, detoxification, protein synthesis and many more. There is no means to compensate the absence of liver function for a long run. The doctor can infer a lot of details about the liver functions by examining the abdomen. Cirrhosis is a well-known ailment of the liver. Actually cysts formed in the liver, known as hepatic cysts can also lead to several disorders and medical problems.
A cyst is a closed sac-like structure which contains fluid, gas or semisolid material and is not a normal part of the tissue. Cysts generally are very common in age group and can occur anywhere in the body. Senior citizens and male populations are affected normally. However, symptomatic cysts are more common among females. Hepatic cysts are not life-threatening problems, though occasionally they may impair kidneys and liver. Usually they do not cause major discomfort to the affected individuals. Occasionally they can enlarge and get infected causing abdominal pain and discomfort in the upper region of the stomach.
Few Cysts and Their Possible Causes
The main reason behind the occurrence of hepatic cysts is not clearly established. Most of them are idiopathic, implying that the origin is not known. Some of them are congenital, i.e. they are present at birth. In certain cases they may develop due to some diseases.
- Liver cyst at birth may be due to rare heredity diseases like hepatic fibrosis, where irregular scar tissues develop in the liver. This disease may eventually impair the functions of the kidneys and liver. Another reason may be due to PCLD (polycystic liver disease - appearance of many cysts throughout the liver) which is also congenital. In severe cases it impairs the functions of the kidneys leading to renal failure.
- Choledochal cysts are congenital bile duct anomalies. These cysts dilate the bile duct and may project into the liver. However, these cysts are benign, though rare cases of complications have been observed by the doctors.
- Echinococcus granulosus is one of the most important liver cysts. It is an infection caused by a parasite.
- Cystedenoma is a disease in which individuals can develop cysts in any part of the body, including the liver and kidneys. This is more prevalent in middle-aged women.
- Caroli's disease is an inherited disorder, which can cause liver cysts. This condition is characterized by the bile duct inflammation and cystic dilation of the intrahepatic bile duct and biliary tree.
Symptoms of Hepatic Cysts
In the initial stages, liver cysts are asymptomatic. When the cyst grows larger, to about 7 cm, then only they cause symptoms, such as:
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea
- Digestive problem
- Upper abdominal swelling and discomfort
- Liver enlargement
- Shoulder pain
- Eruption of the cysts
- Blockage of the bile ducts
- Infection of the bile duct etc.
Solitary or multiple liver cysts are common, with advancing age. They have no special significance, unless they are diagnosed as cancerous. Liver function usually continues to be normal. Occasionally these may cause pain. If any abnormal symptom is noticed, medical attention should be sought, instead of assuming that these cysts are not generally harmful.
