Prevalence of Liver Cysts on CT Scans
Yes, liver cysts are very common on CT scans, occurring in 15-18% of the general population, making them one of the most frequently encountered incidental findings on abdominal imaging. 1, 2, 3
Epidemiological Data
Simple hepatic cysts are found in 2.5-18% of patients undergoing abdominal imaging, with the higher prevalence figures (15-18%) representing more recent data from contemporary imaging studies 1, 2, 4, 3
Prevalence increases with age, meaning older patients are significantly more likely to have hepatic cysts detected on CT 4
Women are affected more frequently than men, showing a female predominance 4
The right hepatic lobe is preferentially involved, and cysts can be solitary or multiple 4
Clinical Context
At least one benign focal liver lesion is detected in up to 15% of all patients undergoing CT imaging, with simple cysts representing a substantial proportion of these findings 1
Even in patients with known primary malignancy, benign liver lesions unrelated to the malignancy are found in nearly 30% of cases, underscoring how common these incidental findings are and the importance of accurate characterization 1
Imaging Characteristics on CT
Simple hepatic cysts appear as thin-walled lesions with homogeneous low-density interior on CT imaging, which is their characteristic appearance 1
These lesions are typically discovered incidentally during imaging performed for other clinical indications, as most simple hepatic cysts remain asymptomatic throughout a patient's lifetime 1, 2
Important Clinical Pitfall
Do not pursue routine follow-up imaging for asymptomatic simple hepatic cysts regardless of size, as these benign lesions typically follow an indolent course without significant changes over time 1
The high prevalence of simple hepatic cysts (up to 18%) means that symptomatic cyst rupture must be an extremely rare event, despite the common occurrence of these lesions 1