Liver Hemangioma : Clinical Features

Comments:
Clinical Features (continued from the previous image): Large hemangiomas of the liver may produce acute abdominal pain due to thrombosis/infarction or hemorrhage within the tumor. Compression of stomach by hemangioma in the left lobe of the liver may cause abdominal discomfort, early satiety, nausea and vomitting. Bleeding/rupture is rare (1-4% of cases).

Kasabach-Merritt syndrome (thrombocytopenic purpura and microangiopathic hemolytic anemia due to sequestration and destruction of platelets and RBCs in large hemangiomas) is a rare but life-threatening condition that is sometimes seen in infants but rarely in adults. High-output cardiac failure is another complication of large cavernous hemangiomas of the liver.

This 9 cm cavernous hemangioma was resected from the liver of a 42 y/o female who presented with 1-yr history of intermittent right upper quadrant pain.

Image courtesy of: Dr. Sanjay D. Deshmukh, Professor of Pathology, Pad. Dr. Vithalrao Vikhepatil Medical College, Ahmednagar, INDIA.