Difference between liver hemangioma and liver cancer in ultrasound

Written by Shen Jiang Chao
Radiology
Updated on September 26, 2024
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Liver hemangiomas display a variety of appearances on ultrasound, including hyper-echoic, hypo-echoic, and mixed echoes. Typically, hemangiomas appear on ultrasound as round or oval hyper-echoic masses, with internal echoes that may show a sieve-like change. In contrast, liver cancer primarily appears as hypo-echoic on ultrasound, and liver cancer symptoms are more varied because most liver cancers develop on the basis of cirrhosis. In addition to hypo-echoic masses, there are other manifestations, such as an incomplete liver capsule, widened liver fissures, spleen enlargement, and dilated portal veins, which are used to differentiate from hemangiomas.

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Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
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Can a six-centimeter liver hemangioma be treated with minimally invasive surgery?

For patients with liver hemangiomas, if the size reaches six centimeters, it is relatively large at this point and there may be a risk of rupture and bleeding. Thus, it is advisable to opt for early surgical intervention. The primary method for this would be minimally invasive surgery, which is achieved through vascular interventional surgery. Post-surgery, it is still necessary to have regular follow-up examinations with color Doppler ultrasound to monitor changes in the condition. Generally, for patients with liver hemangiomas of a relatively small size, they usually do not experience significant discomfort and do not require special treatment. Regular follow-up with color Doppler ultrasound to observe any changes in size is sufficient. Of course, it is advisable to avoid spicy and irritating foods in the diet to reduce inflammatory stimulation and lessen the burden on the liver, thereby helping to control the condition.

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Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
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I had a liver hemangioma removed five years ago and it still hurts a lot. What should I do?

If a patient still experiences pain five years after surgical removal of a liver hemangioma, attention should be paid, and further examinations should be completed to rule out other diseases. Generally, patients with hemangiomas do not experience significant discomfort after removal, and there are no obvious sequelae. Therefore, if discomfort occurs, it is important to conduct thorough examinations as soon as possible to identify the cause and treat it accordingly. For instance, liver diseases like cirrhosis, hepatitis, and liver cancer can all manifest as upper right abdominal pain. At this point, it is necessary to differentiate among these causes and treat accordingly. If the patient has liver cancer, early surgical removal should be performed to achieve better treatment outcomes.

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Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
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Will liver hemangioma increase cancer embryonic antigen?

Generally speaking, hepatocellular adenomas do not exhibit elevated levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Regarding hepatocellular adenomas, they are benign liver lesions and typically do not cause any noticeable symptoms in patients. They are most often discovered during ultrasound examinations. Patients with larger hepatocellular adenomas may experience pain in the liver area, and there is also a possibility of rupture and bleeding. Therefore, early surgical intervention is advisable, as surgery can yield excellent treatment outcomes. However, generally, patients with hepatocellular adenomas do not exhibit an increase in CEA. Elevated tumor markers and increased CEA are found in patients with malignant liver tumors.

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Written by Zhang Peng
General Surgery
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How big must a liver hemangioma be to require surgery?

Regarding whether a liver hemangioma requires surgery, size is only one factor that determines the necessity of surgery. Generally, hemangiomas larger than five centimeters have reached the criterion for surgical intervention. However, while the size of the hemangioma is one aspect, we must also consider its location and whether there are any symptoms of compression, as well as the potential for further pathological changes. Therefore, the necessity for surgery is influenced by size, but it is just one of the factors. Of course, the larger the hemangioma, the higher the possibility of requiring surgery.

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Written by Liu Wu Cai
Hepatobiliary Surgery
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How long does it take to recover from minimally invasive surgery for liver hemangioma?

Patients with liver hemangiomas can undergo minimally invasive surgery via peripheral vascular intervention. They generally recover within three to five days after the surgery. Therefore, for patients with larger liver hemangiomas, which could potentially rupture and bleed, surgical treatment is advisable to achieve complete cure. However, for smaller liver hemangiomas without obvious symptoms, no special treatment is needed. Regular follow-up with color ultrasound to monitor any changes in size is sufficient. If surgery is carried out, the recovery time is generally three to five days, so there is no need for excessive concern.