Liver Cysts and Pain

Cysts resemble a sac in their structure, and they develop in the tissues of internal organs and other parts of the body. These cavities are named according to the location; for example, cysts occurring in liver are called liver cysts and kidney cysts are those present in the kidneys. As per medical data, cysts on liver or hepatic cysts are reported in about 5 percent of the general population. However, not all patients manifest liver cysts and pain. In fact, 95 percent of the patients have asymptomatic cysts in the liver.

What Causes Liver Cysts Along with Pain?

The exact cause of liver cysts is not known. They may be congenital (present at birth) or developed at a later stage. While majority of the patients have only one liver cyst having a thin outer wall, multiple cysts are diagnosed in some patients. In most cases, the cysts are filled with a clear fluid or at times, they are nothing more than empty sacs. They are benign and do not disturb liver function. Very rarely, cysts on the liver pose health risks, like malignancy and infections.

The cause for liver cysts and pain is abnormal growth of the cysts, forming larger sacs that disturb the adjacent tissues. If pain symptom is felt in the upper right abdomen and right shoulder, most probably it is due to spontaneous bleeding in the cysts. During this episode, patients complain of sharp abdominal pain. Bleeding ceases on its own after some time and eventually, pain intensity decreases. Other manifested liver cyst symptoms include the following:

• Abdominal discomfort
• Pain in the upper abdomen
• Liver enlargement
• Bile duct obstruction
• Fullness of the abdomen
• Abdominal distention
• Internal bleeding

Treatment

Asymptotic liver cysts remain undiagnosed as they cause no significant medical signs. They are usually identified while performing imaging tests of the abdomen for some other reasons. For people with abdominal pain and a previous history of liver cysts, the doctor may perform ultrasound and computed tomography of the abdomen. With these tests, the doctor can identify whether cysts on liver are causing the pain symptoms or not.

With the diagnosis of cysts on liver, 'are liver cysts serious' is one of the most common queries that lingers on every patient's mind. The answer for this question is both yes and no. Small, asymptomatic liver cysts are not serious and require no therapeutic intervention. Nevertheless, if an individual complains of pain frequently, it is best to get the condition addressed by a trusted physician for prompt treatment.

The treatment approaches for liver cysts that cause abdominal pain is draining of the fluid and surgical removal of the cysts. Aspiration of the fluid by using needle is not recommended, as the epithelial wall lining of liver cysts continues to secrete fluid. So, within a matter of a few weeks to several months time, the cysts will be refilled with fluid. If aspiration is performed, the doctor injects a sclerosant in the cysts to reduce refilling.

The most reliable liver cyst treatment is surgical removal of the cysts along with affected tissues (if any). Performed by less invasive laparoscopy technique, the surgeon makes 2-3 small incisions in the abdomen to get access to liver cysts and remove the epithelial wall. This therapeutic intervention is known as laparoscopic de-roofing. With this method, the recurrence rate of liver cysts and liver pain is low. If liver cysts are associated with infection, antibiotic treatment is done along with surgery.

In alternative medicine, liver cysts diet is suggested to help shrink the cavities. However, the effectiveness of such a treatment strategy is doubtful. As the actual cause is not known, there are no preventive measures for liver cysts. Once a patient is diagnosed with small liver cysts, the doctor will suggest regular monitoring to check the growth of cysts.