A liver nodule is a lesion less than or equal to 3 cm, which is not a disease in itself, but a manifestation of other diseases. A growth on top of the liver can be called a liver nodule, and there are benign and malignant nodules.
Common benign nodules include liver cysts and hepatic hemangiomas. If a liver cyst is less than 5 cm in diameter and does not cause symptoms, it does not need to be treated and only needs to be reviewed regularly. If the liver cyst keeps getting bigger and pressing on the surrounding tissues, causing other symptoms. It can be treated by surgery. Hepatic hemangiomas are also benign lesions caused by abnormal development of blood vessels. Usually small hepatic hemangiomas of small size do not require treatment, and if they keep growing, surgical removal is an option.
Primary hepatocellular carcinoma is a type of malignant liver nodule. Most hepatocellular carcinomas are secondary to hepatitis and cirrhosis, and early stage hepatocellular carcinoma is treated surgically, while late stage hepatocellular carcinoma is treated conservatively. Liver metastases are tumors from other places that have metastasized to the liver, such as breast cancer, rectal cancer, colon cancer, stomach cancer and lung cancer, etc. If liver metastases occur, it is usually an advanced stage of cancer.