Long-term follow-up of hepatic hemangiomas by ultrasonography: with emphasis on the growth rate of the tumor.
OBJECTIVE
It is not rare to find hepatic hemangiomas in people in Taiwan where hepatitis B is endemic during ultrasonographic examinations for the screening of hepatocellular carcinoma, and we can therefore monitor these hemangiomas longitudinally since detected.


METHODS
Totally 180 hepatic hemangiomas in 130 adult patients were followed up for more than 5 years with at least twice ultrasound examinations in our hospital. The diagnosis of hemangiomas was made by typical ultrasonographic findings as well as compatible findings in other imaging modalities. The largest diameter of the same tumor at various examinations was compared in each patient. The doubling time of tumor volume was calculated for the enlarging hepatic hemangiomas.


RESULTS
The diameters of the 180 hemangiomas ranged from <8 cm - >4 cm in 11 (6.1%), < or =4 cm - >2 cm in 55 (30.6%), and < or =2 cm in 114 (63.3%). Among them, the diameter of 14 (7.7%) hemangiomas in 13 patients increased. The tumor volume doubling time of these hemangiomas ranged from 17.3 to 178.1 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Although hepatic hemangiomas are benign, some of them indeed grow slowly. The growth rates of these hemangiomas varied and were definitely slower as compared with those of malignant hepatic tumors.
Yeh
Wen-Chun
WC
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine and National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
Yang
Pei-Ming
PM
Huang
Guan-Tarn
GT
Sheu
Jin-Chuan
JC
Chen
Ding-Shinn
DS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography