What is a Hepatic Hemangioma?
A hepatic hemangioma is a completely benign (non-cancerous) birthmark or growth in your liver made up of a tangle of blood vessels—think of it like a cluster of tiny blood-filled balloons that formed during your development. 1, 2
Key Points to Understand
It's Extremely Common and Harmless
- This is the most common benign liver growth, found in about 1-7% of all people—meaning millions of people have them without ever knowing it 1, 3
- Women are much more likely to have them than men (up to 5 times more common in women) 1, 3
- It's considered a developmental variation rather than a true disease—essentially a harmless quirk in how your liver blood vessels formed 4, 2
Most People Never Have Symptoms
- The vast majority of hepatic hemangiomas cause absolutely no symptoms and are discovered accidentally when you get imaging tests (like ultrasound or CT scan) for completely unrelated reasons 1, 2
- Small and medium-sized hemangiomas (under 10 cm, or about 4 inches) typically don't grow over time and won't cause future problems 2, 5
Size Matters for Symptoms
- Small to medium (under 5 cm or 2 inches): Almost never cause problems and need no treatment—just confirmation of the diagnosis 1, 6
- Giant hemangiomas (over 5 cm): May occasionally cause a dull ache in your upper right abdomen from stretching the liver's covering, but serious complications are extremely rare 2, 5, 7
What You Need to Know About Management
No Treatment Needed in Most Cases
- For typical small to medium hemangiomas, you don't need any treatment, regular monitoring, or lifestyle changes 1, 6
- You can safely take birth control pills, get pregnant, and live completely normally—these don't make hemangiomas dangerous 1
- Your doctor diagnosed this with imaging (ultrasound, CT, or MRI) and doesn't need to do a biopsy because these have very characteristic appearances on scans 4, 1
When Surgery Might Be Considered
Surgery is only reserved for very specific, uncommon situations 1, 5:
- Rupture or bleeding inside the hemangioma (extremely rare)
- Severe, disabling pain that doesn't respond to other treatments
- Compression of nearby organs or blood vessels
- A very rare blood clotting problem called Kasabach-Merritt syndrome
- Persistent uncertainty about whether it's truly a hemangioma versus something else
Important Reassurance
- These never turn into cancer 2, 5
- Bleeding or rupture is extraordinarily rare, even with large hemangiomas 5, 7
- Most people with hemangiomas live their entire lives without any problems from them 1, 2
The Bottom Line
Think of a hepatic hemangioma as a harmless birthmark inside your liver—it's made of blood vessels, was there since you were developing, causes no harm in the vast majority of cases, and requires no treatment beyond confirming the diagnosis with imaging. 1, 2, 5