A different experience of hepatic adenoma in Taiwan with emphasis on clinical manifestations and ultrasonographic features.
OBJECTIVE
Hepatic adenoma is a rare benign hepatic tumor and it is difficult to differentiate it from other focal hepatic tumors. Ultrasonography has become the choice of methods to detect focal hepatic lesions. The study aims at analyzing ultrasonographic features of hepatic adenoma.


METHODS
A total of 8 patients with pathologically proven hepatic adenoma were studied retrospectively during an 8-year period. The ultrasound scanners used were Toshiba SSA-100A, Toshiba SSA-240 and Aloka 630. The ultrasonographic features and clinical data were analyzed.


RESULTS
There were 7 males and 1 female. The mean age was 50 years. Of the 8 cases, 2 symptomatic cases had a tumor larger than 10 cm. The remaining 6 cases were asymptomatic and had tumors smaller than 5 cm. The echogenicity was variable in these tumors. An irregular sonolucent was only noted in a 15 cm tumor and was histologically proven to be internal bleeding. All the tumors were well-defined, however, a hypoechoic rim was obvious only in the isoechoic and hyperechoic tumors.


CONCLUSIONS
Ultrasonographic features of some hepatic adenomas are different from those of hepatocellular carcinomas and hemangiomas, although the differential diagnosis cannot be made in small hypoechoic tumors. When ultrasonography is used more widely, more asymptomatic patients with small-sized hepatic adenoma will be detected, even in male subjects. The concept about the pathogenesis of hepatic adenomas may be changed.
Wu
N H
NH
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine and National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Wang
C C
CC
Huang
G T
GT
Yang
P M
PM
Sheu
J C
JC
Chen
D S
DS
D000236:Adenoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014463:Ultrasonography