Keywords:
Abdomen, Liver, CT, MR, Contrast agent-intravenous, Haemangioma, Cirrhosis
Authors:
J. CHOI, J.-S. Yu, E.-S. Cho, J. H. Kim, J.-J. Chung; SEOUL/KR
DOI:
10.1594/ecr2018/C-0753
Conclusion
This study is one of the largest studies with a long-term follow-up of hepatic hemangiomas.
In the statistical analysis of several possible factors responsible for the size change of hepatic hemangiomas,
only the patients’ age and underlying liver cirrhosis showed statistical significance in univariable and multivariable analyses.
Although the aging process affected the shrinkage of hepatic hemangiomas,
there were some exceptional cases of elderly patients who showed enlargement of hepatic hemangiomas without any presumable factors.
With regard to background liver changes,
Dodd et al reported a significantly lower incidence of hepatic hemangioma in patients with cirrhotic livers than in the general population [7].
Brancatelli et al showed that hepatic hemangiomas in the cirrhotic liver are likely to decrease in size,
probably owing to progressive fibrosis [9].
These findings suggest that liver cirrhosis may cause obliteration of hepatic hemangiomas in the process of fibrosis,
which could explain the “shrunken” lesions for nearly one-half of the hepatic hemangiomas in cirrhotic livers in the present study.
Unlike liver cirrhosis,
the underlying fatty liver showed no relation with the size change of hepatic hemangiomas.
In conclusion,
during the long-term (5–13 years) follow-up period,
about half of the hepatic hemangiomas showed either an increase or a decrease in size.
Aside from liver cirrhosis and aging as factors for the shrinkage of the lesions,
the size changes of hepatic hemangiomas seemed rather sporadic in most of the patients.