No medical therapy has proved effective in reducing the size of simple hepatic cysts. Percutaneous aspiration guided by ultrasonography or computed tomography (CT) is technically simple but has been abandoned because the recurrence rates are nearly 100%. Aspiration combined with sclerosis with alcohol or other agents has been successful in some patients but has high failure and recurrence rates. Successful sclerosis depends on complete decompression of the cyst and apposition of the cyst walls. This is not possible if the cyst wall is thickened or if the cyst is large.
Percutaneous catheters should not be placed to drain simple cysts, because the cavity becomes contaminated, leading to the development of hepatic abscess. Unlike the typical pyogenic hepatic abscess, this problem is difficult to resolve with repeated catheter placements because of continued secretion from the cyst epithelium.
Polycystic liver disease/neoplastic cysts
No options are available for the medical treatment of PCLD or cystadenocarcinoma. Because of the malignant potential of cystadenoma, a role also does not exist for medical therapy for this lesion.
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Histology demonstrating biliary epithelium lining simple cyst.
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Ultrasonographic appearance of large simple hepatic cyst.
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Computed tomography (CT) scan appearance of large hepatic cyst.
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Computed tomography (CT) scan of polycystic liver disease curiously limited to right liver.
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Hepatic cysts. Sagittal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reconstruction in patient with large echinococcal cyst; note daughter cysts in interior.
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Computed tomography (CT) appearance of biliary cystadenoma.
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Resection of involved liver in polycystic liver disease.
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Laparoscopic view of initial hepatic cyst puncture, before unroofing. Lesion is located high in right liver near the diaphragm.
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Laparoscopic view of beginning of unroofing of large simple hepatic cyst near dome of right liver.
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Drawing of final result of laparoscopic unroofing of a large simple hepatic cyst in right liver.
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Initial penetration of hepatic cyst with drainage of cyst fluid.
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Unroofing of hepatic cyst.
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Omentum sutured to excised margin.