LIVER CYSTIC DISEASE

Course overview

HEPATIC CYSTS (HCS) HAVE BEEN A COMMON REASON FOR CONSULTATION BY GASTROENTEROLOGISTS AND HEPATOLOGISTS. HCS ARE DEFINED AS SMALL ABNORMAL FLUID-FILLED LESIONS THAT DEVELOP WITHIN THE LIVER TISSUE AND USUALLY ARISE FROM WITHIN HEPATOCYTES, BILIARY CELL EPITHELIUM, MESENCHYMAL TISSUE, OR METASTASES FROM EXTRAHEPATIC ORGANS. HEPATIC CYSTS CAN BE FROM AN INFECTIOUS OR NON-INFECTIOUS SOURCE. THEY ARE COMMON AND USUALLY ASYMPTOMATIC. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF LIVER CYSTIC LESIONS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND TREATING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.