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Published on: June 24, 2022
Congenital hepatic cyst: Eleven case reports
Chun-Xia Du1, Chang-Gui Lu1, Wei Li1
1Department of Paediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210008, Jiangsu Province, China.
Insights
Congenital hepatic cysts in infants are rare but diagnosable early with imaging. Surgical unroofing is effective for symptomatic cases, leading to a good prognosis for infant liver cysts.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Hepatology
- Neonatal Imaging
Background:
- Congenital hepatic cysts are uncommon pediatric conditions.
- Early diagnosis is facilitated by advanced imaging techniques.
- This study investigates clinical features, surgical management, and outcomes of infantile hepatic cysts.
Observation:
- A case series of eleven infants with hepatic cysts was analyzed.
- Ten infants had simple hepatic cysts (8 solitary, 2 multiple); one had a solitary intrahepatic biliary cyst with a choledochal cyst.
- Most solitary hepatic cysts were detected prenatally and located in the right liver lobe.
Findings:
- Symptomatic hepatic cysts necessitated surgical intervention.
- Cyst resection or unroofing with fulguration was performed.
- No cyst recurrence was observed post-intervention.
Implications:
- Congenital hepatic cysts have a limited differential diagnosis requiring accurate assessment.
- Surgical unroofing is the preferred treatment for symptomatic infantile cysts.
- Infants with congenital hepatic cysts generally experience favorable outcomes.
Background:
Liver cysts in infants are uncommon. With modern diagnostic imaging, we can achieve an early diagnosis of congenital hepatic cysts. Our purpose was to investigate the clinical features, surgical treatment methods and prognosis of infants with congenital hepatic cysts. Herein, we report a case series of congenital hepatic cysts.
Case Summary:
Eleven infants with hepatic cysts were retrospectively analysed. Ten of them had simple hepatic cysts, and a girl with a large hepatic mass was diagnosed with a solitary intrahepatic biliary cyst accompanied by a choledochal cyst. Among the ten simple hepatic cysts, eight were solitary and two were multiple. A total of 87.5% (7 of 8) of infants with solitary hepatic cysts were detected before delivery, and 86% (6 of 7) of those cysts were located in the right lobe of the liver. Surgical intervention was required for symptomatic hepatic cysts. Cyst resection or unroofing with fulguration of the cyst bed was employed. No recurrence of cysts was observed in these infants.
Conclusion:
Congenital hepatic cyst is a condition with a narrow differential diagnosis. Accurate diagnosis is essential for appropriate management. Unroofing is the favoured treatment in infants with symptomatic cysts. Most infants with congenital hepatic cysts have a good prognosis.
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