How is a patient with hepatic/liver cysts evaluated?

bushith

Balchandra

@bushith The evaluation of a patient with a simple liver cyst involves carefully recording the patient history and performing a physical examination plus an imaging study (eg, abdominal computed tomography [CT]) to define the anatomy of the cyst. The clinician can minimize the cost of evaluation by obtaining only key studies that may alter the treatment plan.

Before the widespread availability of abdominal imaging techniques, including ultrasonography and CT, liver cysts were diagnosed only when they grew to an enormous size and became apparent as an abdominal mass or as an incidental finding during laparotomy. Today, imaging studies often reveal asymptomatic lesions incidentally.