Explaining the top questions about liver hemangioma

  Hepatic hemangioma is a relatively common benign tumor of the liver, clinically cavernous hemangioma is the most common, accounting for 5-20% of benign liver tumors. In recent years, with increased awareness of health checkups and advances in various diagnostic imaging techniques, the detection rate of asymptomatic small hemangiomas has increased significantly. Most cases are clinically asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, with long course and slow growth and good prognosis.  1.Will hepatic hemangioma affect pregnancy and will it affect the next generation?  In general, patients with small hepatic hemangiomas (<4cm in diameter) without any clinical symptoms and signs can get pregnant at any time like normal people, but if the hepatic hemangioma is large (>8cm in diameter), there is a potential risk of rupture and bleeding that needs to be treated, or if the location of the hemangioma is superficial, or if the hemangioma has obvious clinical symptoms due to compression of the surrounding However, if the hepatic hemangioma is large in size (>8cm in diameter) and there is a potential risk of rupture and bleeding, or if the location of the hemangioma is superficial, or if the hemangioma is pressing on the surrounding organs and has obvious clinical signs and symptoms, pregnancy is not suitable. Hepatic hemangioma is a benign tumor of the liver, so it will have no effect on the next generation if there is no effect during pregnancy.  2.Will hepatic hemangioma grow bigger without treatment?  Generally speaking, small hepatic hemangiomas without symptoms do not need special treatment, and observation is the main concern. Some patients’ hemangiomas will not change much and keep their original size, but some others will grow up with time and at different speeds, depending on the individual. When hemangioma grows to more than 8cm, non-specific abdominal symptoms may appear, including: abdominal mass: the mass is cystic, no pressure pain, smooth or not smooth surface, and sometimes conductive vascular murmur can be heard on auscultation in the mass; gastrointestinal symptoms: vague pain and discomfort in the right upper abdomen, as well as loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, belching, post-food distension and saturated indigestion may appear; compression symptoms: huge Kasabach-Merritt syndrome, which is a coagulation abnormality caused by hemangioma with thrombocytopenia and massive coagulation factor depletion. The current treatment methods for hepatic hemangioma are highly controversial, mainly including hemangioma resection, hemangioma suture, hepatic artery ligation, microwave curing, radiofrequency treatment, and hepatic artery embolization. For diffuse hepatic hemangioma, or huge hemangioma that cannot be removed, such as hepatic dysfunction or combined with Kasabach-Merritt syndrome, liver transplantation is also feasible. For hepatic hemangioma requiring treatment, a variety of factors should be considered, and different treatment modalities should be selected based on the principle of patient benefit, safety and effectiveness, and the trade-off between various factors according to the technical level and experience of the doctor.  3.Can I drink alcohol if I have hepatic hemangioma?  When it is less than 5cm and there are no uncomfortable symptoms, this situation can be treated without treatment. Patients with hepatic hemangioma should drink less white wine, and red wine can be consumed in small amounts. Alcohol needs to be metabolized by the liver, which will increase the burden on the liver. Drink less to avoid side effects on the treatment effect. It is not good for complete healing if it stimulates the liver again which is not fully healed yet.