Diagnosis of liver hemangioma.
BACKGROUND
Benign liver tumors are now being diagnosed frequently with the advent of the greater use of imaging investigations. The most common lesion is the liver hemangioma 0.4-7.3%, with an incidence rate at autopsy ranging from 3% to 20%.


METHODS
One hundred and one patients underwent operative treatment in the Department of General and Liver-pancreatic Surgery, UH "Alexandrovska" Sofia from 1995 to April 2013. There were 74 (73.3%) females and 27 (26.7%) males. Mean age was 50.7 years (range 25 to 77). Seventy-four patients (73.3%) had a solitary tumor. Methods for diagnosis included history of the disease, routine haematological and liver function tests, ultrasonography, CT, MRI or a combination of more than one technique.


RESULTS
The diagnostic sensitivity of the imaging procedures was U/S 96.9%, CT scanning 98.3% and MRI 100% .The diagnostic specificity--U/S 60.3%, CT scanning 55.0%, MRI 85.7%.


CONCLUSIONS
Hepatic hemangioma is diagnosed in most patients using non-invasive studies such as US, CT and MRI or a combination of them.
Department of General and Liver-pancreatic Surgery, "Alexandrovska" University Hospital, Medical University, Sofia, Bulgaria. annataseva85@gmail.com
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Taseva
Department of General and Liver-pancreatic Surgery, "Alexandrovska" University Hospital, Medical University, Sofia, Bulgaria.
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Tasev
Department of General and Liver-pancreatic Surgery, "Alexandrovska" University Hospital, Medical University, Sofia, Bulgaria.
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Bulanov
Department of General and Liver-pancreatic Surgery, "Alexandrovska" University Hospital, Medical University, Sofia, Bulgaria.
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Dimitrov
Department of General and Liver-pancreatic Surgery, "Alexandrovska" University Hospital, Medical University, Sofia, Bulgaria.
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Popov
Department of General and Liver-pancreatic Surgery, "Alexandrovska" University Hospital, Medical University, Sofia, Bulgaria.
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Zivkov
Department of General and Liver-pancreatic Surgery, "Alexandrovska" University Hospital, Medical University, Sofia, Bulgaria.
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Dimitrova
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002031:Bulgaria / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D006403:Hematologic Tests; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D014463:Ultrasonography