Liver cysts

• Polycystic liver disease, an inherited disorder
• Echinococcus infection, a parasitic infection
• Liver cancer

If required, to reduce their size, fluid can be removed from the cyst by inserting a needle through the skin under X-ray guidance and withdrawing (aspirating) the fluid. To prevent the fluid refilling the cyst a substance called sclerosant is injected into the cyst to help keep the walls of the cyst together.

Symptoms

In most cases, simple liver cysts do not causes any symptoms, however some patients can experience:

• Upper abdominal fullness
• Discomfort
• Pain

What causes it?

Simple cysts arise from a malformation of your bile ducts. These cysts are thought to be congenital (present from birth) but they are not inherited and are unrelated to polycystic liver disease in which many more cysts are present. 

References

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases_conditions/liver-disease/liver_cysts_tumors

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/190818-overview

http://www.britishlivertrust.org.uk/liver-information/liver-conditions/benign-tumours-and-cystic-disease/