What to do if you can’t tell the difference between a hepatic hemangioma and a tumor on a CT scan

Liver hemangiomas and tumors are indistinguishable on CT scan and can be differentiated by other tests, including tumor markers, pathology biopsy, and enhanced CT. It can also be evaluated with related symptoms. 1. Hepatic hemangioma: if only hepatic hemangioma is not cancerous, and no cancer cells are found to exist through pathological biopsy; the result is negative through tumor marker screening, suggesting that there is no pre-cancerous lesion or cancerous lesion at present. Patients with hepatic hemangioma are mostly asymptomatic; if the hemangioma gradually increases in size, it may rupture and bleed on its own. CT enhancement of hepatic hemangioma typically shows enhancement of organs around the hepatic hemangioma in the arterial phase of CT enhancement. In the venous phase, the periphery of hepatic hemangioma continues to strengthen, showing the CT imaging manifestation of slow in and slow out of contrast medium. 2. Liver tumors: If malignant tumors exist, elevated alpha-fetoprotein and CA199 may be present. Benign tumors usually have no relevant symptoms, while malignant tumors may cause yellowish color, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and body wasting. Puncture biopsy can confirm the diagnosis of liver malignant tumor. When liver malignant tumors are enhanced CT, the contrast agent will show rapid filling and enhancement in the arterial phase, resulting in an inhomogeneous hyperdense shadow. In the portal vein phase, the contrast will flow out rapidly, which is called “fast in, fast out” in imaging. When distinguishing between hepatic hemangioma and tumor, it is important to follow the doctor’s requirements, so as to avoid misdiagnosis and delay the best time for treatment.