Is a liver hemangioma serious if it is benign?

Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
Updated on September 06, 2024
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The severity of a patient with a hepatic hemangioma primarily depends on the size of the tumor.

For patients with hepatic hemangiomas, if the size is relatively small, they generally do not experience significant discomfort, and most are discovered incidentally during ultrasound screenings. In such cases, no special treatment is required; just regular follow-up ultrasounds to monitor any changes in size.

However, if the hepatic hemangioma is large, it often leads to rupture, bleeding, or even hemorrhagic shock, which requires attention and should be treated as early as possible. For its treatment, minimally invasive surgery, specifically interventional treatments, are the preferred options and can be very effective.

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Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
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Is a two-centimeter liver hemangioma serious?

When the volume of a liver hemangioma is two centimeters, the condition is relatively mild and usually does not present any obvious symptoms, thus requiring no special treatment. Of course, it is advisable to avoid hard-to-digest foods and spicy foods to reduce the burden on the liver, which can help control the condition. However, for patients with larger liver hemangiomas, there is often a risk of rupture and bleeding, making the condition more severe and sometimes leading to death due to hemorrhagic shock. Therefore, for patients with larger liver hemangiomas, it is advisable to opt for surgical treatment as early as possible, as surgery is the only way to completely treat the condition.

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Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
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Does staying up late affect liver hemangioma?

Staying up late can affect patients with hepatic hemangiomas. Chronic sleep deprivation may impair liver function, potentially exacerbating hepatic hemangiomas significantly. Hepatic hemangiomas are a type of benign tumor, but they can rupture and bleed, causing liver hemorrhage and even leading to hemorrhagic shock. Therefore, patients with hepatic hemangiomas, especially those with larger tumors, should be actively treated, potentially through interventional surgery to achieve a cure. Additionally, for patients with smaller hepatic hemangiomas, conservative treatment may be appropriate for the time being. However, lifestyle and dietary habits need special attention, such as avoiding hard-to-digest and spicy foods.

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Written by Shen Jiang Chao
Radiology
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Difference between liver hemangioma and liver cancer in ultrasound

Liver hemangiomas display a variety of appearances on ultrasound, including hyper-echoic, hypo-echoic, and mixed echoes. Typically, hemangiomas appear on ultrasound as round or oval hyper-echoic masses, with internal echoes that may show a sieve-like change. In contrast, liver cancer primarily appears as hypo-echoic on ultrasound, and liver cancer symptoms are more varied because most liver cancers develop on the basis of cirrhosis. In addition to hypo-echoic masses, there are other manifestations, such as an incomplete liver capsule, widened liver fissures, spleen enlargement, and dilated portal veins, which are used to differentiate from hemangiomas.

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Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
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Will a liver hemangioma show blood flow signals on an ultrasound?

Patients with hepatic hemangiomas exhibit blood flow during ultrasound examinations. Hepatic hemangiomas are common benign tumors of the liver that usually don't show noticeable symptoms when they are small and don't require special treatment; routine follow-up with color Doppler ultrasound is sufficient. However, if a hepatic hemangioma is large, it could potentially rupture and bleed, making the condition severe. This could even lead to hemorrhagic shock and death. Therefore, patients with large hepatic hemangiomas should undergo surgery as soon as possible. Surgical intervention is necessary to cure the condition, with the primary method being interventional surgery, which can achieve the treatment objectives.

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Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
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Do liver hemangiomas occasionally cause pain?

Patients with hepatic hemangioma may occasionally experience pain. Although hepatic hemangioma is a benign tumor, it can still cause pain in the liver area. Moreover, the most severe complication of hepatic hemangioma is liver bleeding. Therefore, it is advisable to perform surgery as soon as possible when the tumor is large. The primary method of surgery is interventional surgery, which can achieve a cure by ligation. If not actively managed, liver bleeding can occur, leading to a critical condition, even causing hemorrhagic shock and death. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to this condition, and for smaller hepatic hemangiomas, regular follow-up color ultrasound examinations should be conducted to dynamically observe changes in size.