Safety of biopsy in liver hemangiomas

Abstract

Hemangiomas are the most common tumors of the liver. Almost all cases are easily detected by ultrasonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and erythrocyte-tagged technetium-99m scintigraphy. In case of inconclusive radiologic features and a history of malignancy or underlying liver disease, liver biopsy is indicated. Bleeding is the most feared complication of biopsy of hemangiomas due to its highly vascular structure. In our clinic, we biopsied seven patients with suspected masses and they were diagnosed histopathologically afterwards as having hemangiomas. We did not observe any complication including bleeding during or after the procedure. Although the case number is too small to reach a definite conclusion, we think that our report deserves attention in showing that concerns about bleeding during biopsy of hemangiomas may be overstated.