[Benign tumors of the liver-diagnosis and therapy (author's transl)]

From 1971 to 1976 surgery was done on 11 patients with benign tumors of the liver in the Surgical Department of the University of Mainz. Histological examinations revealed focal nodular hyperplasia in 5 cases, liver cell adenoma in 2 cases, caverneous hemangioma in 2 cases, cystic liver disease in 1 case, and an idiopatic peritoneal liver cyst in 1 case. Benign tumors of the liver are rare. Clinical symptoms in these cases are inconspicuous. In 5 patients the diagnosis was made coincidentally. Preoperative diagnosis depends mainly on angiography. Since an exact histological diagnosis cannot be made otherwise, surgery is imperative. Big tumors leading to displacement of intestinal or biliary organs ought to be removed in toto; this allows complete histological work up and exclusion of malignancy, and it does prevent recurrence of the tumor as well. In 8 of 11 patients tumors localized peripherally in the liver could be removed surgically without complications.