Surgical treatment of symptomatic simple liver cysts.

Background: Simple hepatic cyst (SHC) can cause symptoms due to compression of the surrounding structures. The aim of the present study was to evaluate symptoms, treatment, recurrence rate and post-operative complications of patients treated for symptomatic SHC.

Methods: Patients were identified from medical records. The inclusion criteria were symptomatic SHC, treatment with percutaneous aspiration or laparoscopic deroofing or both. Age, gender, symptoms, type of treatment, post-operative complications, recurrence of symptomatic liver cyst and time of symptomatic relief were recorded.

Results: A total of 66 patients were included. The most common symptom was abdominal discomfort and/or pain, which was reported in 88%. Nine patients received two, one received three and one received four cyst aspirations before further treatment or no recurrence of symptoms. A total of 84.7% had recurrence of symptoms after aspiration. Forty patients were treated with laparoscopic deroofing, 37 (92.5%) had relief of symptoms. Complications reported after cyst drainage was prolonged drainage (n = 1), dyspnoea (n = 1), bleeding (n = 2) and peritonitis (n = 2). After laparoscopic deroofing, the only post-operative complication was wound infection (n = 2).

Conclusions: The present study showed that percutaneous aspiration of symptomatic SHC should be performed to ensure that the symptoms are related to the cyst. Laparoscopic deroofing has proven a definitive treatment for simple SHC and is associated with a low recurrence rate and few post-operative complications. Background: none. Background: not relevant.