I am a medical student doing my anatomy dissection module. I have found liver cysts, whitish and granular, about 2-4cm across, in our cadaver. He was 60 years old and died of natural causes. The cysts had eaten into the diaphragm. What was the likely cause? One kidney was also infected.

We are imperfect when we are made. And in all of us there can be natural air pockets deep within. Should that pocket get infected or from the result of trauma or blood borne infection then a cyst can form. At least that was how it was explained to me. And since the liver filters the blood and blood is a carrier of infection then it stands to reason this could happen. Also with age the body regenerates much more slowly so the chance of infection and deterioration is much greater.