title: Progressive development of diffuse liver hemangiomatosis.
abstract: Diffuse liver hemangiomatosis is extremely rare. The etiology and natural history of the disease are unknown. It is also unclear whether tumor growth is induced or modulated by drug therapy. Tumor recurrence after ablative therapy has not been described in patients with diffuse liver hemangiomatosis. Diffuse hemangiomatosis of the left hepatic lobe was suspected in a 35-year-old woman by ultrasonography, CT and hepatic arteriography, and confirmed by laparotomy and biopsies. The patient denied any drug or estrogen use. The tumor was removed by left hepatectomy. Two and six years later, the patient was again hospitalized with progressive tumor growth into the right hepatic lobe. Although diffuse liver hemangiomatosis is a rare disease, its diagnosis should be considered in patients with progressive tumor growth in one or both hepatic lobes. The absence of drug intake or estrogen use does not exclude the diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, University Hospital of Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: F S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Lehmann
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beglinger
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schnabel
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Terracciano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000792:Angiography; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012008:Recurrence; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed