Liver hemangioma and scar tissue anyone?

[Ladybug1]

After experiencing stomach burning, my DR. sent me for blood work and a cat scan of the abdomen area. Both were NORMAL. 6 mon. later, I went to a Gastro DR. He sent me for an Ultrasound which revealed something on the liver. He sent me for a repeat cat scan which now showed a hemangioma and scar tissue but it did not look cancerous. They ruled the burning in the stomach as IBS. The Gastro Dr. and pathologist are puzzled how the first cat scan showed a "clean" liver and approx. 6 months later which they feel is considered a short amount of time, there is a hemangioma and scar tissue. When I asked what normally causes this, I was told it was probably from birth control pills. But, because of the two contradicting cat scans, I am now told to get a second opinion. I thought scar tissue formed over a period of time(?) I'm waiting to see who the Dr. wants to refer me to. The waiting has me nervous. Has anyone experienced anything like this? Anyone comments or insight? I am 34 and am guessing that the first cat scan should have at least shown a speck or some sign of initial scar tissue formation...but it didn't. UGH!

[ZandM]

my wife just had a surgery to remove her gallbladder, eventhough it hadn't been shown in any tests that she had stones/sand/sludge. Well, when they removed it, the gallbladder was "inflamed". But what they found was even more incredible. Her liver was adhered to her ribs by scar tissue. They said it looked like ice sickles (sic?). She had already had over 9 surgeries for severe endometriosis  (sic?), with the final result being a full hysterectomy. Since then, she has had increasing pain in her bladder (sorry.. but there's no way to remove endo from there!!!... they say), and up where her gallbladder had been and under her ribs on the right side. Of course, not a single doc would touch her over the last few years since the hysterectomy until I had my own pain doc contact the head of Scripps hepatology as a "friend of the family". Then, within a month mind you, she had already been diagnosed and put under the knife. I have gone off on a tangent here... my apologies. What I want to say is that since she had the adhesion from her liver to her ribs removed (3 weeks), her swelling has gone down, but she is still having the knife like stabbing pains, and I am concerned that it is the hemangiomas either causing the pain on their own, or THEY ARE CAUSING THE SCAR TISSUE TO REFORM. Can they do this? feel free to email me at ***@**** if you are knowledgeable and care. Thank you... I just want her to have her life back

[loulou164]

Hi there I have suffered immense pain in the right side of my abdomen, since the birth of my first child nearly 5 years ago. I was given codine and buscopan and told it could be ibs.
I had a scan, blood tests everything and it was all clear.This was four years ago. This year I was diagnosed with gall bladder stones after yet another scan and increasing my pain killers to tremadol, codine and dulfolax.
I had my gall bladder removed with all four small stones on the 1st of July this year.
Now I am suffering exactly the same pain on the other side of my body more prodomanantly, but also in the same areas as before.
This includes under my rib cage on the right, lower down on the left hand side and in two spots in my mid back area, but also a  excruciating pain occurs when breathing in and out, a tightening of the upper middle of my back and the front of me, basically where my heart is.
I was told after my operation that there was some scarring near my liver and that I must see my doctor as it could be a infection or signs of an infection previously.
I am so confussed my doctor has given me antibiotics, these have done nothing.
Do you think I could have liver or kidney problems, whats your opinion please.

[Jaybay]

I have lived with scar tissue (adhesions) for a good 10 years.  Frankly, you are lucky it even showed up on your CT scan.  Most of the time, it doesn't.  Not on CT scan, ultrasound, x-ray or MRI.  

In my case, the scar tissue developed as a result of gallbladder disease (no gallstones) and spread to nearby structures: liver and small intestines.  The inflammation causes it to form whether it be from infection or injury like surgery, and it forms immediately when such injury occurs.   As scar tissue ages, the thicker and denser it becomes and the more problems it causes.  That could be the reason it didn't show up on your first scan.  If it grabs on to intestines, that's where the real "fun" begins.  

Some people do well with adheliolysis surgery.  In others, the surgery results in a short time of relief, but it then causes more adhesions to form and you end up in a vicious cycle.  

You really are lucky to have your adhesions show up on a scan.  So many people, myself included, cannot prove the cause of our symptoms without surgery, and getting treatment is about impossible.  I wish I could give you some decent advice here, but where scar tissue is concerned, the best treatment is surgery; since it can cause even more scar tissue to form, many surgeons are loathe to do it.  Good luck.  :-)