Congenital hepatic cyst: Eleven case reports

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.