Percutaneous treatment of symptomatic non-parasitic benign liver cysts with 20% NaCl solution

The aim of the study is to evaluate efficacy of single-session 20% NaCl solution sclerotherapy in the treatment of symptomatic nonparasitic benign liver cysts.

20 patients were chosen (7 man and 13 woman, mean age 52.9 with mean duration of disease before treatment 9.4 months) for a prospective trial. Patients were treated with ultrasound-guided percutaneous aspiration and injection of 20% NaCl solution. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, treatment outcome and complications were analyzed during the trial. The procedure was considered successful if the cyst disappears. The cyst was considered to have disappeared if it could no longer be visualized on ultrasonography. Other important measures to document the efficacy of treatment included the length of the hospital stay and complications related to the procedure.

The average volume reduction was 96.3% (range, 74.9-100%). During the 24-month follow up period, 8 cysts (40.0%) disappeared completely. The hospital stay was one day for all patients.

Percutaneous treatment and sclerotherapy with hypertonic NaCl (20%) is safe and effective for hepatic non-parasitic cysts.