Hepatic cyst

A hepatic cyst is a fluid-filled sac found within the liver, a common incidental finding during abdominal ultrasound examinations. These benign lesions are typically anechoic (black) on ultrasound, with well-defined walls and posterior acoustic enhancement, indicating their fluid-filled nature. While most are asymptomatic and require no treatment, larger cysts can cause discomfort or, rarely, complications.

Accurate identification of hepatic cysts is crucial in medical ultrasound for differentiating them from more serious liver pathologies like tumors or abscesses. Ultrasound provides real-time, non-invasive assessment, guiding diagnosis and monitoring the stability of these often-benign liver anomalies within the abdominal cavity.

Clinical Author

Bruno Vargas is originally from Mexico City. He first trained as an Emergency Medical Technician at la Universidad Panamericana (UP) before starting medical school at la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) in Mexico City. Later he did his social service year in the Sierra Madre of Chiapas with Partners in Health Mexico/Compañeros en Salud (CES) in 2019, where he was trained in Global Health, social medicine, and introduced to Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS). At that moment while working in a resource-limited setting he became passionate about POCUS. He graduated as a general practitioner, and afterward stayed with CES during the pandemic as part of the COVID-19 task force, training community healthcare workers and “pasantes” (first-year doctors doing their year of social service). He finished the Ultrasound Leadership Academy (ULA) fellowship and has started a POCUS training program at his site with midwives, nurses, doctors, and trainees from these areas. He is currently doing a Global Health Fellowship with HEAL as a site fellow in Chiapas with CES. He has committed to a lifelong career in global health providing healthcare access to the most marginalized communities. He has a profound respect and admiration for nature and loves any kind of outdoor activities, especially bicycling, high mountain, and scuba-diving.

Read More
Other Definitions
Want to learn more?

POCUS Essentials Course

Learn More
Related Definitions
Other Definitions
Cardiac

Contribute to the POCUSpedia

Help us improve the accuracy and completeness of the POCUSpedia. Your contributions help maintain the highest standards of factual content.
Contributors who provide verified corrections or additions will be credited with a link to their chosen web address. We appreciate your expertise and time in helping us maintain accurate information about POCUS

As a [Specialty] clinician, POCUS has completely changed how I practice. GUSI’s training gave me the confidence to make faster, more accurate decisions for my patients.

JONATHAN DOE
Private Practice Owner

Suggest a Correction

* Required fields

“”