Impact of liver volume on polycystic liver disease-related symptoms and quality of life

Background: Symptoms in polycystic liver disease (PLD) are thought to be caused by compression of organs and structures by the enlarged liver. Aim: The aim of this article is to assess the impact of liver volume on symptoms and quality of life (QoL) in PLD. Methods: We included PLD patients from two prospective studies that used the PLD-questionnaire (PLD-Q) for symptom assessment. QoL was assessed through SF-36, summarized in a physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) component score. Liver volume was correlated with PLD-Q total scores. Patients were classified based on height-corrected liver volume in mild (<1600 ml), moderate (1600–3200 ml), and severe (>3200 ml) disease. PLD-Q and QoL (PCS and MCS) scores were compared across disease stages. Results: We included 82 of 131 patients from the original studies (disease stages; mild n = 26, moderate n = 33, and severe n = 23). Patients with larger liver volume reported higher symptom burden (r = 0.516, p < 0.001). Symptom scores increased with disease progression, except for abdominal pain (p = 0.088). PCS decreased with advancing disease (p < 0.001), in contrast to MCS (p = 0.055). Moderate (p = 0.007) and severe (p < 0.001) PLD patients had lower PCS scores than the general population. Conclusion: PLD with larger liver volume is more likely to be symptomatic and is associated with lower QoL.