The liver is one of the main filters of the human body. When toxins enter the bloodstream, this organ makes the consequences of such penetration minimal for the patient's he alth.
Due to its active work to cleanse the body, the liver is susceptible to many diseases. One of them is the formation of a cyst. This is a kind of bag that has walls and contents. Why are liver cysts dangerous? Unfortunately, such a pathological condition is a fairly common phenomenon, especially among older and middle-aged people. It contributes to the development of a tumor and can provoke organ dysfunction, which is fraught with infection of the body and subsequent death of the patient.
General information
Now you know what a liver cyst is. Is this disease dangerous and how it should be treated, we will tell below.
Liver cyst occurs in 1% of the population. According to statistics, representatives of the weaker sex are more susceptible to such education. It is usually found in people aged 30-50.
What are the dangers of liver cysts? Specialistsargue that such a pathological formation has a benign course. The cyst is usually filled with a clear fluid, although in rare cases it may contain a jelly-like mass that is yellow-green in color.
Answering the question of why liver cysts are dangerous, one cannot but say that such a formation can be localized in different places of the said organ. At the same time, the bag itself often reaches a size of more than 15 cm.
It should also be noted that quite often several years after the occurrence of one cyst, due to certain factors, the patient may develop multiple cysts. With such a phenomenon, they speak of a complicated illness.
So why are liver cysts dangerous? If such formations occur, there is a high probability that the patient's pathological condition will not be limited to this. Due to the presence of cirrhosis of the liver, cysts in the bile ducts, polycystic kidneys and ovaries, the course of the disease may worsen. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a constant examination of all human organs for the presence of new formations.
Disease classification
What are the types of liver cyst? Why is such a disease dangerous? These issues are inextricably linked, since the likely threat to the he alth and life of the patient depends not only on the size of the formation, but also on its type. Currently, the following types of cysts are distinguished:
- Non-parasitic.
- Parasitic.
In turn, each presented type of disease is divided into severalsubtypes. Consider them in more detail.
1. Non-parasitic cyst
This type of tumor can be:
- false;
- true.
The first includes formations that have arisen as a result of a traumatic effect, that is, a rupture of an organ. This phenomenon can occur when removing a liver abscess or echinococcus. Based on this, the false cyst is divided into traumatic and inflammatory.
As for the true tumor, this is a formation that arose even at the stage of intrauterine development. Such a cyst usually occurs due to the connection of the bile ducts to the bile ducts. The true tumor is discovered by chance during an ultrasound.
By the way, the last education is divided into three more types:
- polycystic;
- solitary;
- cystic fibrosis.
Let's take a look at their features right now.
Polycystic
How is such a liver cyst characterized? Why is it dangerous for a person? In this case, we are talking about multiple cysts. This is a congenital disease caused by a mutation in the genes.
The size of such formations can be different. Cysts are able to increase throughout the life of the patient. Most people who suffer from polycystic liver disease often have cystic changes in the kidneys, lungs, and pancreas. It should also be noted that in some cases, due to this disease, a person may develop functional liver failure, portal hypertension and varicose veins.veins of the esophagus.
Solitary cyst
Why is a solitary liver cyst dangerous? This formation has a rounded shape. It can cause the following complications: malignancy, hemorrhage into the abdominal cavity, torsion of the cyst, rupture, suppuration and hemorrhage into the cyst wall.
Cystofibrosis
Congenital cystic fibrosis of the liver is very common in young children. With this disease, the following complications are usually observed: cirrhosis of the liver, portal hypertension and functional liver failure.
2. Parasitic cyst
What is a parasitic liver cyst? How dangerous (reviews on the treatment of this disease will be presented below) is this disease for a person? Depending on the pathogen, such formation has several types:
- Echinococcal;
- alveococcal.
It should also be noted that most often this disease is asymptomatic. When it is detected, the patient cannot always remember when he had contact with an animal that could infect him.
Echinococcal species
Most often this formation occurs in the right lobe of the liver. The appearance of an echinococcal cyst is associated with the cystic or larval stage of development of the tapeworm (echinococcosis), which is called Echinococcus granulosus.
Alveococcal species
Alveococcal formation is also referred to as parasitic cysts. A tumor of this species appears when a cestode is parasitized in the larval stage, which is called Echinococcusmultilocularis.
As mentioned above, parasite infection most often occurs through human contact with foxes, dogs, wolves and jackals. Such formations are prone to constant growth. The larger their size, the more likely the risk of developing the following complications: cyst rupture, hemorrhage and bleeding.
Symptoms of disease
Until a certain time, a liver cyst develops asymptomatically. Only after it reaches a significant size, a person can feel:
- dyspnea;
- nausea;
- pain in the right hypochondrium;
- diarrhea;
- weight loss;
- loss of appetite;
- increase in organ size;
- Feeling of fullness and heaviness after eating.
Diagnosis
The disease in question may be detected by chance during an abdominal ultrasound. Also, a liver cyst is often determined by echography. This diagnostic method allows you to identify the contents of the tumor-like sac (pus or blood).
With the help of computed and magnetic resonance imaging, as well as scintigraphy of the mesenteric arteries and liver, angiography of the celiac trunk, differential diagnosis of an existing formation with hemangioma, metastatic lesions of the organ, tumors of the small intestine, dropsy of the gallbladder, etc. can be carried out If there is any doubt, then specialists perform a diagnostic laparoscopy.
Treatment methods
What is the danger of a liver cyst and how to treat the disease? We will answer these questions in this article.
If a small cyst is found in a patient, then treatment begins with a systematic observation by a gastroenterologist. As for the surgical removal of such a formation, it can be indicated for complications (for example, with suppuration, rupture and bleeding). It should also be noted that operations are performed with giant and large cysts (from 10 cm or more), compression of the biliary tract, violation of the bile duct, compression of the portal vein with hypertension (portal), recurrence of the cyst after puncture and pronounced clinical symptoms that worsen the quality life of the patient.
Removal of a liver cyst - is it dangerous? Experts say that in most cases, such operations are successful and without any complications.
Surgical intervention does not imply the removal of abdominal cysts in case of formations on the liver. Such operations consist only in puncturing the contents of the pouch.
A lasting effect after surgery is achieved with small cavity sizes (that is, up to 5-6 cm).
Folk methods and reviews
Supporters of alternative medicine prefer to treat liver cysts not with medications, but with various infusions and decoctions. However, expert reviews report that such methods rarely lead to the desired result. Moreover, if medical care is not provided in a timely manner, education canreach large sizes, which is extremely dangerous for the patient's life.
