Hepatic hemangioma with normal angiograms. Three case reports

Three cases of symptomatic cavernous hemangioma of the liver are reported. All three patients have normal angiograms. A review of the literature shows that the diagnosis of hemangioma may be made noninvasively with a high degree of accuracy. Technetium Tc 99m-labeled red blood cell scanning is very specific, while dynamic computed tomography may be more sensitive for small lesions. A combination of the two modalities makes the diagnosis in greater than 90% of cases. Magnetic resonance imaging is also sensitive and specific. Angiography, as shown in these cases, may not only be questionably indicated, but may be misleading. The treatment for symptomatic lesions is resection, and secondary alternatives are discussed.