Cystic Hepatic Lesions: A Concise Review of Literature

Cystic hepatic lesions are a group of heterogeneous entities commonly encountered in clinical practice. The prevalence of cystic hepatic lesions has been reported to be as high as 15%-18% in the United States. Recent advances in imaging have led to the early incidental detection of hepatic cysts. Most of them are benign with no clinical significance. However, a few malignant and potentially lethal conditions can also cause cystic lesions in the liver. Clinical, radiological, and pathological correlation is crucial in accurate diagnosis and treatment. Treatment modalities for hepatic cysts range from simple fenestration to aspiration sclerotherapy, to surgical resection. In the current review, we classified the hepatic cystic lesions as developmental, neoplastic, inflammatory, post-traumatic, and miscellaneous. The unique clinical features, radiological, and histological findings, and treatment modalities of various cystic hepatic lesions are discussed in detail in the review.