Liver abscess
Liver abscess is a pus-filled cyst in the liver. The liver is an organ in the digestive system that assists the digestive process and carries out many other essential functions.
These functions include producing bile to help break down food into energy; creating essential substances, such as hormones; cleaning toxins from the blood, including those from medication, alcohol and drugs; and controlling fat storage and cholesterol production and release.
Surgical treatment of liver abscess is necessary in many cases to drain the abscess with a needle or small tube inserted through the abdomen. This surgical procedure is called laparoscopic or percutaneous drainage and aspiration.
Liver cyst
Also known as a hepatic cyst, a simple liver cyst is a thin-walled bubble, a fluid-filled cavity in the liver that usually produces no signs or symptoms. Some liver cysts do not contain fluid.
A relatively common condition, liver cysts are normally benign and pose no problems or health risks. They are usually detected by chance during other types of testing, and may be diagnosed through ultrasound or computerized tomography (CAT) scans.
In some cases, however, liver cysts may grow large enough to cause pain or discomfort in the upper right part of the abdomen, liver enlargement, bile duct infection, or obstruction of the bile ducts, causing the cyst itself to become infected. In these cases, it is necessary to drain and/or remove the cyst.
A biopsy can be performed and/or a sample of the cyst's fluid can be removed for analysis. Liver cysts can be surgically removed if they create problems or discomfort.