Mr Russell Hodgson
Copyright © 2017 Mr Russell Hodgson HPB and General Surgeon, Melbourne, Australia
Appointments/Enquiries: 9456 9511
Specialist HPB and General Surgeon
Cysts are not unusual in the liver, however it is rare for cysts to cause symptoms. If cysts grow to an enormous size, they can stretch the capsule of the liver causing pain. Very rarely, they can grow to a size that squashes other organs in the abdomen. In these circumstances, sometimes a keyhole operation (laparoscopic surgery) to remove the cyst can help to relieve symptoms.
A haemangioma is an abnormal collection of blood vessels. In the liver they can grow to a large size, but they do not cause symptoms, are of no risk of bleeding, and do not lead to cancer. Thus, they do not require any further treatment. They are of interest only because they can sometimes look like cancers on CT scans and may warrant further investigation or monitoring if the diagnosis is not clear.
FNH is an abnormal collection of normal liver cells within the liver. As the liver cells are completely normal, FNH does not cause any symptoms and has no cancer risk. However occasionally the diagnosis is not clear and they may warrant further investigation or monitoring until the diagnosis is established.
An adenoma is an abnormal collection of abnormal liver cells within the liver. They are highly linked to female hormones and very uncommon in males. Most cases of adenoma are found in women also on the oral contraceptive pill or hormone replacement therapy and some adenomas shrink when these medications are ceased. The correct diagnosis of adenoma is important as some adenomas can progress into malignant cancer, and thus surgery is often warranted.
