Management of symptomatic liver cysts

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Surgical Gastroenterology

Background:

• Non-parasitic liver cysts affect up to 5% of the population.
• Symptomatic cysts can cause significant discomfort and complications like obstructive jaundice.
• Treatment options include drainage, resection, and cyst deroofing (open and laparoscopic).

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the management and outcomes of symptomatic non-parasitic liver cysts.
• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of open cyst deroofing in a cohort of patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of eleven symptomatic patients treated between May 1996 and August 2001.
• Surgical management included open deroofing (n=8) and hepatic resection (n=1).
• Three patients had recurrent cysts after prior laparoscopic deroofing.

Main Results:

• Nine patients underwent surgical treatment with no symptomatic recurrence during a median 12-month follow-up.
• Two patients experienced post-operative bile leakage, managed conservatively.
• One patient died of liver failure 12 months post-surgery.

Conclusions:

• Open cyst deroofing provides significant symptomatic relief and has a low complication rate.
• Open deroofing is a crucial treatment option for symptomatic liver cysts, particularly recurrent ones post-laparoscopy.