Prevalence of Liver Hemangiomas
Liver hemangiomas are the most common benign liver tumor, occurring in 0.4% to 7.3% of the general population, with a female-to-male ratio of up to 5:1. 1
Epidemiological Data
The prevalence of hepatic hemangiomas varies depending on the detection method and population studied:
General population prevalence ranges from 0.4% to 8%, making them by far the most common benign hepatic lesion. 1
At least one benign focal liver lesion is found in up to 15% of patients undergoing imaging, with hemangiomas representing the most frequent of these lesions. 1
Even in patients with known primary malignancy, benign lesions (including hemangiomas) are found in nearly 30% of cases, highlighting how common these lesions truly are. 1
The female predominance is striking, with some studies reporting a female-to-male ratio as high as 5:1, though the exact relationship with estrogen remains uncertain. 1
Clinical Context
The high prevalence of hemangiomas has important clinical implications:
Most hemangiomas are discovered incidentally during imaging performed for unrelated reasons, as they are typically asymptomatic. 2, 3, 4
The widespread use of ultrasonography and CT scanning has increased detection rates in recent decades, making the diagnosis more common than in the past. 2, 5
Giant hemangiomas (>4 cm) occur in approximately 27% of patients with hemangiomas, though these larger lesions remain relatively uncommon in the general population. 2
Symptomatic hemangiomas are the minority, with only about 30% of patients with diagnosed hemangiomas experiencing symptoms, most commonly right upper quadrant pain. 2
The key takeaway is that while hemangiomas are extremely common (affecting up to 1 in 13 people), the vast majority are small, asymptomatic, and require no intervention beyond initial diagnostic confirmation. 1, 6