Abstract: Objective The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of ultrasound-guided injection of absolute ethanol (AE) or lauromacrogol in the treatment of patients with hepatic cysts (HC). Methods 62 patients with HC were enrolled in our hospital between June 2020 and October 2022, and 30 patients out of them were treated with ultrasound-guided injection of AE, and another 32 patients were given ultrasound-guided injection of lauromacrogol. All patients were followed-up for 6 months. Serum amyloid A (SAA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were detected by chemiluminescence, and serum cortisol (Cor) and epinephrine (E) levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. Results The successful disappearance rate of HC in AE-treated patients was 96.7%, significantly higher than 75.0% in lauromacrogol-injected patients (P<0.05); 3 days after injection, serum SAA, CRP, Cor and E levels in AE-treated patients were (20.7±2.3)mg/L, (35.8±3.8)mg/L, (336.4±24.9)nmol/L and (49.4±6.0)ng/L, all significantly higher [(16.5±2.2)mg/L, (21.9±3.2)mg/L, (282.0±25.9)nmol/L and (39.1±5.3)ng/L, respectively, P<0.05] in lauromacrogol-treated patients; the incidence of adverse reactions, such as alcohol-drunken-like reaction, abdominal pain, fever and anorexia in AE-injected patients was 43.3%, much higher than 12.5%(P<0.05) in lauromacrogol-injected patients. Conclusion The intra-cyst injection of AE or lauromacrogol under ultrasound guidance in the treatment of patients with HC is efficacious, and we recommend the AE injection although the AE has a relatively more untoward effects.

Key words: Hepatic cyst, Absolute ethanol, Lauromacrogol, Ultrasound-guidance, Sclerotherapy