Liver cysts and spleen enlargement, what's going on?

Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
Updated on September 21, 2024
00:00
00:00

Liver cysts and an enlarged spleen are terms used in imaging studies. For liver cysts, they are common benign tumors and usually, the patient does not experience any significant discomfort. Thus, no special treatment is required; regular follow-up with ultrasound to monitor changes in size is sufficient. However, if a liver cyst grows large, it can cause pain in the liver area. If liver function becomes abnormal, surgical removal may be considered. As for an enlarged spleen, it is caused by various conditions that lead to an increase in spleen size, such as in cases of portal hypertension, which often results in splenomegaly and hyperfunctioning spleen. Blood disorders may also cause the spleen to enlarge. Therefore, the treatment varies depending on the underlying cause.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
45sec home-news-image

What should I do if I feel abdominal distension due to a liver cyst?

For patients with liver cysts, if abdominal distension occurs, it is important to promptly recheck with an ultrasound, which can better observe the size of the liver cysts. For larger liver cysts, which might cause abdominal distension and potentially liver function abnormalities, surgical removal is necessary to achieve therapeutic effects. Generally, liver cysts that are small in size do not cause noticeable discomfort and are mostly discovered during ultrasound examinations, requiring no special treatment other than regular ultrasound monitoring. For patients with larger liver cysts, it is crucial to pay close attention and perform surgical removal as early as possible to improve the prognosis.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
49sec home-news-image

A liver cyst of 0.7 millimeters is not serious.

At this time, the volume of the liver cyst is relatively small and the condition is mild. Generally, patients with small liver cysts do not exhibit obvious symptoms and are most often discovered during ultrasound examinations. At this stage, no special treatment is required; routine follow-up ultrasound to dynamically observe changes in volume will suffice. Of course, for patients with large liver cysts, they may experience pain in the liver area, symptoms of compression, or even effects on liver function. Therefore, early surgical removal should be considered for treatment in order to cure the condition effectively, which can greatly improve the prognosis and quality of life for the patient. Post-surgery, regular check-ups are also necessary.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
46sec home-news-image

If a liver cyst is malignant, will it grow very quickly?

If a liver cyst worsens, it will noticeably increase in size in a short period, and the growth rate is too rapid, so it is important to pay attention. If malignant transformation occurs, surgery should be performed as soon as possible to improve the prognosis of the patient. For liver cysts that are relatively small, there generally won't be any noticeable discomfort, and no special treatment is needed. However, regular follow-up with ultrasound is necessary to dynamically observe changes in size. Early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of malignant transformation can be achieved, and early surgical removal can improve the patient's prognosis. Additionally, patients with liver cysts should also avoid spicy and irritating foods to reduce inflammatory stimulation.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wang Jing Bin
Gastroenterology
56sec home-news-image

How to treat a liver cyst?

If liver cysts are found during a physical examination, there is no need for excessive worry, as this is not a malignant disease and is a very common finding during physical examinations. Therefore, when a liver cyst is detected, we should first look at how large it is described. If the liver cyst is not particularly large, around two to three centimeters or even four to five centimeters, we generally won't feel much and it won't have much impact on our digestive function. In this case, treatment is usually not required. If the liver cyst is larger, about eight to ten centimeters or even some people have fourteen to fifteen centimeters, it causes a certain amount of pressure, leading to digestive disturbances such as abdominal distention. At this time, treatment of the cyst under ultrasound guidance is needed, and this treatment is generally simple, whether done on an outpatient basis or during hospitalization.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
45sec home-news-image

"Liver cyst benign" means what?

Liver cysts are benign and are described through ultrasonography and CT imaging. Liver cysts are a type of benign tumor and typically do not cause any noticeable discomfort. Most are discovered incidentally during ultrasound examinations. Therefore, when liver cysts are identified, there is generally no cause for extreme concern, nor is there a need for special treatment; regular ultrasound follow-ups are sufficient. However, in some patients, if the liver cysts grow large, they may cause pain in the liver area or even affect liver function. In these cases, surgical removal is necessary to achieve better treatment outcomes. Thus, the treatment for liver cysts primarily depends on their size.