Emergency laparoscopic unroofing of a ruptured hepatic cyst

The use of laparoscopic techniques in the emergency treatment of liver cyst complications has not been reported in the literature. Laparoscopic surgery is a well-established treatment modality for giant hepatic cyst in the elective setting. We report a case of laparoscopic unroofing of a 15-cm ruptured hepatic cyst, which had recurred after previous percutaneous alcohol instillation therapy. Laparoscopic ultrasound was used to delineate the extent of the cyst while a Harmonic scalpel was used for dissection. The patient made an uneventful recovery and was discharged 4 days after the operation.