Evaluation of the utility value of percutaneous drainage of symptomatic hepatic cysts combined with an obliteration attempt

Aim: The goal of the paper was to evaluate the procedure of percutaneous drainage of symptomatic hepatic cysts under the transabdominal ultrasound control combined with obliteration. Material and method: Within the period from 2005 to 2015, 70 patients diagnosed with a simple hepatic cyst of symptomatic nature were subject to hospitalization and treated at the 2nd General, Gastroenterological and Cancer Surgery of the Alimentary System Center and Clinics of the Medical University of Lublin. All the patients subject to evaluation were qualified to percutaneous drainage under an ultrasound control. The drainage utilized typical sets of drains with the diameter of at least 9 F, most often of pigtail type. The fluid aspirated form the cyst was dispatched for complex laboratory testing. Further, a 10% sodium chloride solution was administered to the cyst through the drain, in the volume depending on the previous size of the cyst and the patient's reaction. Results: Patients reported for a re-visit within the period from 3 to 9 months following the procedure. Complete obliteration of the cyst was confirmed only in 8 patients (11%). Cyst recurrence was reported in cases when during the ultrasound evaluation, the diameter of the cyst following aspiration and obliteration enlarged to over 75% of the initial dimension. In this group, in 10 out of 12 examined (83%) there was a relapse of the previously observed ailments. Among patients, who has a cyst imaged within the period of observation, which had the diameter from 50% to 75% of the previous size, only in 6 cases (37.5%) the initial symptoms relapsed. Conclusions: The utilization of a drainage and obliteration enables one to achieve the acceptable result of the therapy as well as significant decrease in the number of previously reported ailments and symptoms described.