Liver cysts

Liver cysts may present no symptoms for many years. That's because many types of liver cysts are slow to grow and surround themselves with a layer of tissue that stops them from starting an inflammatory reaction or infection in the liver.

These cysts will grow, however, and may start to increase pressure inside the liver. This may lead to pain on the right side of the ribs, high temperature or feeling discomfort when taking a breath. Should the cyst rupture or leak, you may well experience one or more of the following:

• fever or high temperatures
• nausea
• weight loss
• jaundice, once infection reaches an advanced stage
• surgery

For a confirmed diagnosis of liver cysts, your consultant will usually recommend a CT and/or MRI scan. Blood tests are usually needed to look for rare causes of liver cysts such as Hydatid disease and cystadenoma.

Treatment of cysts will depend on the type of cysts you have. If they're growing quickly, they may be 'deroofed’, where the top of the cyst is removed. Usually this is carried out as a laparoscopic procedure, through small cuts in the abdomen using precision instruments to allow the trapped fluid to drain. A course of antibiotics is likely as well.