If you’ve been diagnosed with a liver hemangioma, you might have plenty of questions regarding what it is, what causes it, and how it affects your health.

This post intends to clear up any confusion and dishonesty surrounding this type of liver abnormality so that you can better understand your diagnostic.

What Is a Liver Hemangioma?

A liver hemangioma is a benign tumor that occurs in the liver. These tumors are composed of abnormal clusters of blood vessels, which can lead to noticeable masses in the liver.

Hemangiomas can range in size from just a few millimeters to several centimeters in diameter.

Most hemangiomas are small enough that they don’t cause any health problems or symptoms. Others, though, can be large enough to cause issues such as pain or discomfort in the abdomen.

What Causes Liver Hemangiomas?

The exact cause of liver hemangiomas is not entirely known. However, medical experts believe that they result from a defect in the blood vessels in the liver. Simply put, hemangiomas occur when the blood vessels in the liver grow abnormally.

Research suggests that most hemangiomas develop in the womb, although others may not be diagnosed until later in life. Some studies have also shown that certain factors can increase the likelihood of developing a liver hemangioma.

These factors may include:.

Female sex
Pregnancy
Anticonvulsant therapy

Symptoms of Liver Hemangiomas

Most liver hemangiomas are small enough that they don’t cause any symptoms at all. When symptoms do develop, they generally only occur in larger tumors. The most common symptoms of liver hemangiomas include:.

Pain and discomfort in the right upper quadrant of your abdomen
Feeling full after eating small amounts of food
Nausea and vomiting
Fatigue and weakness
Jaundice (in rare instances)

Diagnosing Liver Hemangiomas

Most liver hemangiomas are discovered accidentally during diagnostic testing for other conditions. For example, your doctor may discover a liver hemangioma during an ultrasound or CT scan.

If your doctor suspects that you have a liver hemangioma, they may perform additional tests, such as a liver biopsy or MRI, to confirm the diagnosis.

Treating Liver Hemangiomas

In most cases, liver hemangiomas don’t require any treatment at all. They are benign and don’t usually grow larger over time.

However, if your hemangioma is causing severe symptoms such as pain or discomfort, your doctor may recommend treatment.

The most common treatments for liver hemangiomas include:.

Surgery to remove the tumor entirely
Laser ablation to shrink the tumor
Embolization to cut off the tumor’s blood supply and cause it to shrink

Conclusion

Liver hemangiomas are benign tumors that occur in the liver. Although they are not usually dangerous and don’t cause symptoms, larger hemangiomas can cause pain or discomfort.

If you have been diagnosed with a liver hemangioma, it’s essential to work with your doctor to determine the best course of treatment.