HEMANGIOMAS OF LIVER; A RADIOLOGIST S PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Hemangioma is the commonest benign tumor of liver. These mesenchymal tumors are composed of blood vessels that are atypical or irregular in arrangement and size. Usual occurrence is within right lobe of liver in subcapsular or marginal location. Most of them are small in size (less than 4 cm), are often asymptomatic and discovered incidentally on modern diagnostic imaging.1 If these lesions increase in size and grow large they may give rise to symptoms requiring treatment. Such lesions are called Giant Cavernous hemangiomas.2 According to Goodman3 90% patients having hemangiomas more than 10 cm in size experience symtoms. Radiologists play an important role not only in diagnosing the lesion but also offer treatment like embolization in selected cases.