Understanding liver cysts

The human body is very susceptible to the many diseases and disorders. Everywhere in the body, benign or malign tumors may form due to various reasons. One of the benign growths that is very common is cyst. The cysts may grow in many organs, but one of the most common cysts is liver cyst. It is also called hepatic cyst. Fortunately, liver cysts are only benign growths and are not very serious for the overall health of the person who has it. Hepatic cysts are round in shape and look like sacs that can be empty or filled with semi-fluid material. They form in the tissues of the liver and their size may very. They can be tiny and about 2 millimeters. On the other hand, the biggest size of the liver cysts is about 20 centimeters. Hepatic cysts are more frequent in men than in women, especially in elderly population.

Causes of liver cysts

There are many causes for the occurrence of this disorder. In the majority of cases, the idiopathic causes are responsible for these benign growths in the liver. When the bile duct has anomalies that are congenital, the liver cysts may gradually appear.

Every liver disorder is a potential cause for this disorder. Thus, abnormal liver enlargement called polycystic liver disease may also be responsible for the growing of liver cysts. Furthermore, Caroli's disease and liver cancer, as well as congenital hepatic fibrosis and echinococcus infection, are some medical conditions that are considered to be the causes for hepatic cysts growths.

Symptoms of liver cysts

Hepatic or liver cysts may be asymptomatic and symptomatic. In the majority of cases, when this disorder occurs in men, the liver cysts are asymptomatic. On the other hand, when women suffer from this condition, symptoms usually appear. Furthermore, when the cysts are smaller than 7 centimeters, they typically do not cause any symptoms. However, when the symptoms appear, people with liver cysts may experience pain in the abdomen, swelling and discomfort in the upper abdominal region. Besides this, they may complain of shoulder pain, digestive problems and nausea. The enlargement of liver, eruption of the cysts and infection of the bile ducts, as well as blockage of the bile ducts, are some of the warning sings of the liver cysts. It is very important to visit a doctor when the above-mentioned symptoms are noticed, because the growth of liver cysts should be checked regularly.