Learning About Liver Hemangiomas

A liver hemangioma (say "he-MAN-jee-oh-muh") is a lump inside the liver. You may have more than one. These lumps are bunches of tiny blood vessels surrounded by a thin membrane. They rarely cause problems and show little or no growth over time. People of any age can get them, even infants.

Your doctor may also call it a hepatic hemangioma or a cavernous hemangioma. This condition is typically not caused by cancer.

Liver hemangiomas range in size from about a tenth of an inch (2.5 mm) to 4 in. (10.2 cm) or more. Most are small, usually less than 1 in. (2.5 cm) in size. In severe but rare cases, a larger one can break open. This can damage your liver. It can also cause bleeding into the belly or widespread blood clotting.

Liver hemangiomas happen about 3 to 5 times more often in women than in men. Doctors don’t know why. Liver hemangiomas may get bigger during pregnancy or estrogen therapy, so estrogen may play a role. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about your risk.

Experts aren’t sure what causes liver hemangiomas.

Most liver hemangiomas don't have any symptoms.

Symptoms may appear when a liver hemangioma is bigger than about 2 in. (5 cm) in size. They can feel like symptoms of many other kinds of digestive problems. Symptoms may include:

• Pain in the right upper belly.
• Loss of appetite.
• Feeling sick to your stomach and vomiting.
• Discomfort and bloating in the belly.
• Feeling full after eating just a small amount of food.

Liver hemangiomas are found during imaging of the belly for other health reasons. They are also found when doctors are looking for the cause of abnormal liver tests. They may be seen in ultrasound, MRI, or CT scan images of the belly.

How to treat or manage a liver hemangioma depends on its size, any problems it causes, and the overall condition of the liver. Most people don't need medical treatment.

If your doctor finds a small liver hemangioma, you probably won't need follow-up imaging unless you have risk factors for other liver conditions. But your doctor may recommend regular follow-ups over time.

If you have symptoms from a hemangioma, you may be examined by a liver specialist or a liver surgeon. If the hemangioma is large and causing problems, you might consider surgery to remove it. The surgeon may remove it or remove the area of the liver where it's found. Another option is arterial embolization, where the surgeon makes a clot in a nearby artery to shut off the blood supply to the hemangioma. Or you may have radiofrequency ablation, which uses heat to close off the blood supply.