Definition
Hemangioma of the liver is the most common benign liver tumor and occurs more frequently in women with a frequency of 3:1. It consists of fine blood vessels and is therefore also known as a haemangioma in common parlance. The reasons for its development are unknown.
Often there are no fulminant symptoms, so that a hemangioma of the liver is more impressive as a chance finding in imaging examinations. In the case of larger findings, complaints in the upper abdomen may occur or a feeling of fullness with nausea may be impressive. Another important special form of hemangioma is the cavernous hemangioma.
Is a hemangioma of the liver dangerous?
Whether a hemangioma can become dangerous depends on the one hand on its extent or size growth, and on the other hand on its location in the liver. Degeneration in the sense of a cancer has never been observed before. The hemangioma of the liver is in most cases a random finding.
Possible symptoms may therefore be relatively unspecific and initially not point in the right direction. In addition to upper abdominal complaints such as pain, nausea may also occur. If rare complications such as bleeding from the hemangioma occur, general weakness and paleness, as well as pain, may occur.
Bleeding may occur if the hemangioma is located very close to the liver surface and is very large (diameter of more than 5cm). Furthermore, the hemangioma can also grow inside the liver near important vessels such as the bile ducts. If these are constricted, it is possible that the bile flow is obstructed and an icterus (yellowing of the skin) develops. This is best recognized first by the conjunctiva of the eyes.
Does a hemangioma of the liver cause pain?
A hemangioma of the liver does not cause any symptoms in most cases, therefore no pain. Occasionally, unspecific upper abdominal pain may occur. These occur mainly when the hemangioma of the liver becomes larger or is already particularly large.
In addition, there are complaints such as a feeling of fullness and nausea. Pain usually occurs only when the liver hemangioma is very large. Since the liver itself is not well supplied with pain-conducting nerve fibers, pain only occurs when the capsule of the liver is stretched so much that the pain fibers contained therein are irritated.
All articles in this series:
