Hyalinized hemangioma of the liver

We report the case of a 65-yr-old woman with hyalinized hemangioma of the liver which, on radiological examination, resembled primary or metastatic carcinoma of the liver. She had undergone a partial colectomy for a sigmoid adenocarcinoma, followed by the diagnosis of a hepatic tumor with ultrasonic echogram 5 months later. The tumor was depicted as a low-density mass on plain computed tomography (CT), and an enhancement at the peripheral portion was noted by contrast CT. Hepatic angiography disclosed a faint pooling of contrast medium in segment 8. A subsementectomy of the liver was performed under the diagnosis of metastatic adenocarcinoma or hepatocellular carcinoma. Histologically, the tumor was composed of dense collagenous tissues with marked hyalinization and scattered sclerotic vessels. Elastic fibers were distributed concentrically around the vessels. Totally hyalinized sclerosis of hemangioma is uncommon, and can be erroneously diagnosed as carcinoma by radiologic examination. This unusual hemangioma is reported, with pertinent literature.