Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSurgeries & ProceduresPrescriptionsOTC TherapiesHome Remedies & Lifestyle
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Surgeries & Procedures
Prescriptions
OTC Therapies
Home Remedies & Lifestyle
About 5% to 10% of the population hasliver cysts; however, they are mostly harmless. Around 5% of people with them require treatment that’s typically only offered if the cysts are painful, large, affectliver function, or arecancerous.
Liver cyst treatment may include draining the cyst, surgically removing it, taking medications, or having aliver transplant(in extreme cases).
In this article, learn more about liver cysts and their various treatment options.
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Polycystic Liver DiseasePolycystic liver disease (PLD) is a genetic disorder that can cause multiple liver cysts to develop on the liver and increase in size. These can cause painful symptoms, and may lead to dangerous complications. Speak with your healthcare provider to rule out PLD.
Polycystic Liver Disease
Polycystic liver disease (PLD) is a genetic disorder that can cause multiple liver cysts to develop on the liver and increase in size. These can cause painful symptoms, and may lead to dangerous complications. Speak with your healthcare provider to rule out PLD.
Surgeries and Specialist-Driven Procedures
Of the small percentage of people requiring treatment for liver cysts, it’s usually because the cyst has grown large enough to cause pain in the right upper abdominal area, affects liver function, or blocks bile (a digestive fluid that breaks down fatty acids) from moving into the intestines. When this is the case, draining or surgery may be required.
Liver Lesions Causes and Treatment
Draining
Draining a liver cyst, calledpercutaneousaspiration, is often not a permanent solution. However, it is usually offered first because it is less invasive than surgery.
For the procedure, your healthcare provider will use ultrasound or computed tomography (CT) imaging to visualize the cyst.Then, they will insert a needle into the cyst to drain the fluid, leaving an empty sac. You may be awake for the procedure, butlocal anestheticswill be administered so you don’t feel any pain.
One issue with draining a liver cyst—and the reason it isn’t a permanent solution—is that the cyst sac remains, allowing it to refill with fluid. To prevent this, your healthcare provider may use asclerosingagent(an injection to help fluid from accumulating).
Surgical Removal
Surgery is considered more radical and is usually only tried if draining the cyst is not an option or it has already grown back.The two surgical treatments offered include:
Liver cysts are not generally treated with prescription medications unless theechinococcusparasitecauses them.This parasite is found in sheep and dogs but can transfer to humans, calledhydatiddisease.Medication is often prescribed with surgical removal or drainage of the cyst.
Albendazole
If you have hydatid disease, your healthcare provider may prescribe the antiparasitic medication Albenza (albendazole), pre- and postoperatively.This can reduce the chance of cysts recurring after surgery and may reduce the size of the cyst.
Albendazole and Praziquantel
Combining albendazole and Biltricide (praziquantel) is more effective than albendazole alone and is safe to use with minimal adverse effects.
Over-the-Counter (OTC) Therapies
No OTC (nonprescription) medications or therapies can remove or reduce the size of liver cysts. However, if you are experiencing pain related to liver cysts, your healthcare provider can advise on appropriate analgesics (pain relievers) that can help.
Home Remedies and Lifestyle
One lifestyle factor that may increase your risk of developing parasitic liver cysts is exposure to infected sheep; however, this mainly affects sheep farmers. Unless you have an occupational hazard, you shouldn’t be worried about this.
If you have been diagnosed with a liver cyst, your healthcare provider may choose to watch and wait if the cyst is less than 4 centimeters and causes no symptoms. You may keep a diary of any symptoms, such as bloating, pain in the upper right abdomen, and the physical appearance of a bump in that area.
Summary
Most of the time, liver cysts are harmless and don’t require treatment. Your healthcare provider may determine appropriate treatments based on the size of your cyst, associated symptoms, and the cause of your cyst (if known to be parasitic).
For around 5% of those who do need treatment, options include drainage, surgical methods of laparoscopic de-roofing, or complete excision if the cyst recurs. Your healthcare provider may prescribe certain antiparasitic medications if the parasite, echinococcus, causes the cyst.
A Word From Verywell
If you have a liver cyst, speak to your healthcare provider about treatment options, recurrence rates, and any side effects or risks associated with each procedure or medication. Help is available if treatment is required.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Macutkiewicz C, Plastow R, Chrispijn M, et al.Complications arising in simple and polycystic liver cysts.World J Hepatol. 2012;4(12):406-411. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v4.i12.406American Liver Foundation.Liver cysts.National Organization for Rare Diseases.Polycystic liver disease.Polat K, Balik A, Oren D.Percutaneous drainage of hydatid cyst of the liver: long-term results.HPB (Oxford). 2002;4(4):163-166. doi:10.1080/13651820260503800Gao J, Zheng J, Cai J, et al.Differentiation and management of hepatobiliary mucinous cystic neoplasms: a single centre experience for 8 years.BMC Surg. 2021;21:146. doi:10.1186/s12893-021-01110-9Bernshteyn MA, Masood U.Hepatic cyst. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2022.Nazligul Y, Kucukazman M, Akbulut S.Role of chemotherapeutic agents in the management of cystic echinococcosis.Int Surg. 2015;100(1):112-114. doi:10.9738/INTSURG-D-14-00068.1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Parasites - echinococcosis.Shams-Ul-Bari, Arif SH, Malik AA, et al.Role of albendazole in the management of hydatid cyst liver.Saudi J Gastroenterol. 2011;17(5):343-347. doi:10.4103/1319-3767.84493Alvela-Suárez L, Velasco-Tirado V, Belhassen-Garcia M, et al.Safety of the combined use of praziquantel and albendazole in the treatment of human hydatid disease.Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2014;90(5):819-822. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.13-0059
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Macutkiewicz C, Plastow R, Chrispijn M, et al.Complications arising in simple and polycystic liver cysts.World J Hepatol. 2012;4(12):406-411. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v4.i12.406American Liver Foundation.Liver cysts.National Organization for Rare Diseases.Polycystic liver disease.Polat K, Balik A, Oren D.Percutaneous drainage of hydatid cyst of the liver: long-term results.HPB (Oxford). 2002;4(4):163-166. doi:10.1080/13651820260503800Gao J, Zheng J, Cai J, et al.Differentiation and management of hepatobiliary mucinous cystic neoplasms: a single centre experience for 8 years.BMC Surg. 2021;21:146. doi:10.1186/s12893-021-01110-9Bernshteyn MA, Masood U.Hepatic cyst. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2022.Nazligul Y, Kucukazman M, Akbulut S.Role of chemotherapeutic agents in the management of cystic echinococcosis.Int Surg. 2015;100(1):112-114. doi:10.9738/INTSURG-D-14-00068.1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Parasites - echinococcosis.Shams-Ul-Bari, Arif SH, Malik AA, et al.Role of albendazole in the management of hydatid cyst liver.Saudi J Gastroenterol. 2011;17(5):343-347. doi:10.4103/1319-3767.84493Alvela-Suárez L, Velasco-Tirado V, Belhassen-Garcia M, et al.Safety of the combined use of praziquantel and albendazole in the treatment of human hydatid disease.Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2014;90(5):819-822. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.13-0059
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Macutkiewicz C, Plastow R, Chrispijn M, et al.Complications arising in simple and polycystic liver cysts.World J Hepatol. 2012;4(12):406-411. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v4.i12.406American Liver Foundation.Liver cysts.National Organization for Rare Diseases.Polycystic liver disease.Polat K, Balik A, Oren D.Percutaneous drainage of hydatid cyst of the liver: long-term results.HPB (Oxford). 2002;4(4):163-166. doi:10.1080/13651820260503800Gao J, Zheng J, Cai J, et al.Differentiation and management of hepatobiliary mucinous cystic neoplasms: a single centre experience for 8 years.BMC Surg. 2021;21:146. doi:10.1186/s12893-021-01110-9Bernshteyn MA, Masood U.Hepatic cyst. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2022.Nazligul Y, Kucukazman M, Akbulut S.Role of chemotherapeutic agents in the management of cystic echinococcosis.Int Surg. 2015;100(1):112-114. doi:10.9738/INTSURG-D-14-00068.1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Parasites - echinococcosis.Shams-Ul-Bari, Arif SH, Malik AA, et al.Role of albendazole in the management of hydatid cyst liver.Saudi J Gastroenterol. 2011;17(5):343-347. doi:10.4103/1319-3767.84493Alvela-Suárez L, Velasco-Tirado V, Belhassen-Garcia M, et al.Safety of the combined use of praziquantel and albendazole in the treatment of human hydatid disease.Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2014;90(5):819-822. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.13-0059
Macutkiewicz C, Plastow R, Chrispijn M, et al.Complications arising in simple and polycystic liver cysts.World J Hepatol. 2012;4(12):406-411. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v4.i12.406
American Liver Foundation.Liver cysts.
National Organization for Rare Diseases.Polycystic liver disease.
Polat K, Balik A, Oren D.Percutaneous drainage of hydatid cyst of the liver: long-term results.HPB (Oxford). 2002;4(4):163-166. doi:10.1080/13651820260503800
Gao J, Zheng J, Cai J, et al.Differentiation and management of hepatobiliary mucinous cystic neoplasms: a single centre experience for 8 years.BMC Surg. 2021;21:146. doi:10.1186/s12893-021-01110-9
Bernshteyn MA, Masood U.Hepatic cyst. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2022.
Nazligul Y, Kucukazman M, Akbulut S.Role of chemotherapeutic agents in the management of cystic echinococcosis.Int Surg. 2015;100(1):112-114. doi:10.9738/INTSURG-D-14-00068.1
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Parasites - echinococcosis.
Shams-Ul-Bari, Arif SH, Malik AA, et al.Role of albendazole in the management of hydatid cyst liver.Saudi J Gastroenterol. 2011;17(5):343-347. doi:10.4103/1319-3767.84493
Alvela-Suárez L, Velasco-Tirado V, Belhassen-Garcia M, et al.Safety of the combined use of praziquantel and albendazole in the treatment of human hydatid disease.Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2014;90(5):819-822. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.13-0059
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