Lesions on the Liver

Lesions are nothing but abnormal growths on the surface of any organ. In other words, they can also be called tumors, that could be both benign or malignant. Benign lesions do not really cause harm to one's health, whereas malignant lesions can be dangerous. Lesions found on the liver are mostly benign which is why they aren't as complex as malignant ones.

There can even be masses of such lesions on the liver that are painless (at times) and which do not necessarily require any specific treatment if they are not associated with any liver disease. The CPMC (California Pacific Medical Center) suggests that pain is the biggest symptom of lesions on the liver, no matter what type it is. Let's take a look at what could be the possible signs and symptoms of lesions on a liver.

Liver Lesion Symptoms

Lesions on a liver can be divided into solid or cystic lesions, and lesions that are filed with fluid of some sort. As per the type of lesion on the liver, the symptoms can vary to a certain extent. Nevertheless, one of the most common symptoms of lesions on the liver is abdominal pain; a person feels compression pain if he/she is suffering from this condition. A feeling of pain radiating outward in the form of waves may also be present along with the root pain.

A feeling of fullness is a very prominent sign of this condition. A person suffering with the same can experience fullness that extends along the entire abdominal cavity. It is not to be confused with flatulence hence, wouldn't go away by taking anti-flatulence drugs. Along with fullness, the person might also suffer from nausea and vomiting. Nausea can also be an indicator of cysts on the bile duct and a sign of gallbladder disease.

Liver disease and lesions on the liver are mostly indicative of jaundice, which is one of the major symptoms of lesions on liver. Jaundice is an indicator of toxic secretions in the body as the liver is not able to get rid of them. There are a few things that suggest that most kinds of lesions are seen amongst women than men.

Liver Lesion Formation Causes

As per the classification of lesions on a liver (as we saw above), the causes will vary. Explained below are the causes of contracting lesions on a liver:

Hemangioma
Prevalent in women and gets active mostly due to drastic hormonal changes. Occasionally, bleeding may also be observed. Can be diagnosed with an MRI and several other radiological diagnostic methods. Surgery depends on the choice of the patient and severity of the conditions.

Adenoma
Adenoma is mostly seen in women than in men. It is said to be caused due to overuse of oral contraceptives or birth control pills. Adenoma causes abdominal fullness and occasional bleeding, nausea, vomiting and fever as well. Radiological tests and a biopsy can diagnose these kinds of lesions on liver. Discontinuation of oral contraceptives is the first step of the treatment.

Focal Nodular Hyperplasia
These are also one of the most common benign lesions on a liver that are asymptomatic and less prone to rupturing and causing potential damage to one's health. Besides being present on the liver, they may also appear on the pancreas, as both are important organs of the digestive system. Biopsy and radiological tests can evaluate whether the lesion requires surgical intervention or not.

Focal Fatty Change
Focal fatty change is a condition when the distribution of fat levels is not equal inside the liver. This is most common among people with a history of diabetes, hepatitis C, obesity, chronic liver disease and so on. MRIs and several other tests can determine the course of treatment and need for surgery as well.

Choledochal Cysts
These are also referred to as cysts on the bile duct which can be congenital in nature and develop later on in life as well. Benign lesions of this kind are asymptomatic, however, malignant ones can cause pain under the right rib (also as a result of lesions on the liver and lungs), loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, etc. Biopsy and radiological tests can determine if it's bile duct cancer or something else.

Simple Liver Cysts
This is yet another congenital type of lesion that is in the form of a single cyst present inside the liver. Sometimes, such liver lesions can grow as big as 8cm in diameter inside the liver's tissues. Marsupialization is one of the better treatments involved in getting rid of such cysts. It is a process of draining the inner matter of the cyst into the abdominal cavity.

Polycystic Liver Disease (PCLD)
This is yet another congenital lesion on the liver and can be associated with them appearing on kidneys as well. They are multiple in number and grow slowly. CT scans, ultrasounds, and MRIs, are the diagnostic methods that can determine the need for a liver and/or kidney transplant.

Other types of lesions on livers that may be caused due to infections of several kinds of parasites and bacteria are - amoebic liver abscess, hydatid cysts, and pyogenic liver abscess, these types can also be detected with the help of radiological tests and an occasional biopsy too. The course of treatment for lesions on the liver can only be performed as per the types and location of the growths. Correct diagnosis is very important to get rid of lesions on the liver and also to decide whether they are benign or malignant.

Lesions on your liver are not always life-threatening, however, timely diagnosis and treatment of the same can definitely avoid them from turning into one. In cases of it being cancerous, treatment methods that involve surgery and chemotherapy can be employed to take care of the situation. Besides that simple antibiotics will take care of the infection if it isn't cancerous in nature. Take care!