Liver Hemangioma Treatments: Understanding Your Options

Liver hemangioma, also called hepatic or cavernous hemangioma, is a non-cancerous liver tumor made of dilated blood vessels. Most people don̵7;t experience any signs or symptoms and don̵7;t need treatment. Hepatic hemangiomas are most common in people in their thirties to fifties.

Significance

• Some liver hemangiomas may be large enough to cause abdominal pain, appetite loss, and nausea. The treatment of such liver hemangiomas depends on the patient̵7;s overall health, and the size and location of the hemangioma.

Surgery

• Some hemangiomas can be easily removed through surgery, while others may be so deep-rooted that a part of the liver needs to be removed.

Bood Flow

• Blocking blood flow to the hemangioma can cause it to shrink. This is done by either tying a knot in the affected artery (ligation) or injecting a drug into the artery (embolization). This does not affect the surrounding liver tissue.

Transplant

• In severe cases, a patient might suffer from extreme pain due to very large or multiple hemangiomas that can't be removed through surgery. In such cases, the only solution is a liver transplant.

Other

• Doctors may also recommend radiation therapy to destroy hemangioma cells.