What is a liver cyst?
A cyst is a cavity filled with fluid. This moisture is often bright yellow in color. Cysts in the liver are fairly common and are usually harmless.
The size of a cyst varies from a few millimeters up to 10 centimeters. There can be only one cyst in the liver, but it can also be more. In people with Polycystic liver disease (a rare inherited condition) is the liver full of cysts.
At pain makes the doctor first an echo of your liver. Sometimes even after the echo not clear if it is a cyst. The doctor will then an MRI scan or a CT scan. When these studies are more details of the liver.
There are several ways to remove liver cysts, such as emptying the cyst or surgical removal.
An estimated has about 5% of people have liver cyst.
What causes liver cysts?
The cause of liver cysts is usually not known. Some people have them at birth. At others they only arise later in life.
Possible causes of the emergence of a liver cyst:
- Weaknesses in the bile ducts. On the weak spots forming cysts. This may be due to the hereditary disease of Caroli. But the vulnerabilities can also arise spontaneously.
- A hereditary disease (polycystic liver disease) in which there cysts in the liver and in the kidneys can sit.
- An infection that is conveyed by dogs and foxes. These animals have a tapeworm. You get the infection when you accidentally come into contact with the feces of these animals. For example, because you are eating infected food. The tapeworm eggs hatch through the intestines into the liver justified. The eggs hatch and change the larval worms in bladder, around which with moisture can form vesicles. Which is then a cyst. This type of infection is most common in countries with poor hygiene.
Signs and symptoms of liver cysts
Liver cysts usually cause no symptoms. If a liver cyst very large or if there is a lot of cysts, liver pain can do. You feel pain than in the upper right abdomen.
You can also suffer from abdominal distension, nausea, vomiting and feeling fast 'full' when eating. A very large liver presses on the diaphragm. This allows you to be short of breath.
Complications of liver cysts are rare. Very occasionally result in bleeding, high blood pressure in the large vein leading to the liver (portal hypertension) or blockage of the hepatic vein.