title: Management of haemangioma of the liver: comparison of results between surgery and observation.
abstract: Cavernous haemangioma of the liver was diagnosed in 33 patients using hepatic angiography between 1978 and 1988. Thirteen of these patients underwent surgery. There were no deaths after operation; morbidity included upper gastrointestinal bleeding in two patients and liver dysfunction in one. The follow-up study showed no evidence of recurrence in any of the 13 patients up to 143 months after operation. In the operated patients, a small haemangioma was left in the liver of two for anatomical reasons, but the size of these tumours showed no change over 3 years. The remaining 20 patients had no specific treatment for haemangioma and were followed up for between 18 months and 8 years. Of these 20 patients, 19 had tumours of less than 5 cm in size. As there was no enlargement or rupture of haemangiomas of less than 5 cm, it was felt that these could be observed. Cases having a potential for exposure to trauma, rapid tumour growth, or displaying severe symptoms should be considered for surgical treatment; this can be justified due to low morbidity and no mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery II, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamagata
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanematsu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsumata
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Utsunomiya
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugimachi
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014463:Ultrasonography