[Liver hemangiomas - when is invasive treatment indicated?]

Liver hemangiomas are the most common benign tumors of the liver. Most are asymptomatic and are found accidentally by ultrasonography, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging of the abdomen. Liver hemangiomas usually do not need any treatment. Nevertheless, symptomatic, giant hemangiomas can be indicated for surgery, embolization or thermoablation. The aim of this study was to define based on our own experience and on the literature when and what treatment option should be indicated in patients suffering from liver hemangioma.

In the last five years 37 patients with giant hemangiomas indicated for invasive treatment were enrolled in the study. The mean size of the hemangiomas was 67 mm (45-221 mm). Multiple hemangiomas were present in 11 (29.7%) patients. Enucleation was performed in 15 (40.5%), non-anatomical liver resection in three, (8.1%), left lobectomy in one (2.7%) and exploratory laparotomy for a suspected malignant liver tumor in two (5.4%) patients where malignancy was excluded based on contrast enhanced peroperative ultrasonography. Percutaneous transarterial embolization (TAE) was performed in 16 (43.2%) patients.

There was zero mortality. A hematoma in the resection line, with spontaneous regression was present in two (10.5%) patients after the surgery. The post-embolization syndrome was presented in three (16.7%) patients after TAE. Progression of the hemangioma was seen in three (28.8%), regression in six (37.5%) patients, and in seven (43.8%) patients the finding remained stable in the interval of 14 years after TAE.

Conservative approach is can be applied in most liver hemangiomas, especially in small, asymptomatic lesions. Liver surgery is indicated in giant symptomatic or growing hemangiomas with the diameter over 10 cm or in non-specific lesions where the preoperative diagnosis is uncertain. We recommend enucleation as the method of choice, or non-anatomic liver resection. TAE is indicated in high-risk patients and can be repeated if the hemangioma progresses. The use of other methods such as radiofrequency ablation needs to be verified in large clinical studies.Key words: liver hemangiomas - treatment methods.