[Liver hemangioma: the need for a well-defined differential diagnosis and the therapeutical timing dilemma]

Abstract

Liver is frequently affected by hemangiomas originated during the embryonal period from defects in the maturation of the endothelia of the capillary system. These benign tumors may result asymptomatic for the whole life (4-7% of incidental autoptical reports), but in some cases they are liable to a spontaneous or traumatic rupture, with haemorrhagic complications which make an urgent laparotomy necessary. The rupture may be caused by different reasons, such as the critical size reached by the endothelia, the development of the mass due to the continuous pulsatility or the hormonal stimuli (puberty, pregnancy or oral contraceptives).