Size of Hemangioma

I have just been diagnosed with hemangioma after undergoing an abdominal ultrasound scan, and the technician said the size is 2.3*2.6*2.9. I'm not saying the guy is a quack, but is that how hepatic hemangioma sizes are measured? if yes, do I have a giant hemangioma? I can scan and send over the image if an expert can be of help.

[mikesimon]

You may find this article interesting. I have not seen hemangiomas described 3 dimensionally but it seems reasonable or at least possible. Most of the articles I read describe them as _cm - as in the following article.

J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2007 Nov;22(11):1953-8.
Management of liver hemangiomas according to size and symptoms.

Erdogan D, Busch OR, van Delden OM, Bennink RJ, ten Kate FJ, Gouma DJ, van Gulik TM.

Department of Surgery, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Comment in:

    * J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2007 Nov;22(11):1705.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Liver hemangiomas are the most common benign liver tumors. These lesions are usually incidental findings during imaging studies of the abdomen performed for other reasons. The indication for surgical resection of these lesions remains controversial. METHODS: Records of patients referred for evaluation of radiologically and/or histopathologically proven liver hemangiomas, from June 1991 to February 2006, were retrospectively analyzed. Reason for referral, results of imaging studies, and surgical treatment and outcome were reviewed. RESULTS: There were 34 patients identified. The hemangioma size was 5 cm in 19 patients. The most common reason for referral was right upper abdominal pain in 59% (20/34) of patients. Abdominal ultrasound was conclusive in 66.7% (16/24) and four-phase computed tomography (CT) in 82.6% (19/23) of patients. Surgical resection was undertaken in 14 patients (41%) after a mean follow-up time of 36.5 months. The indication for treatment was progressive abdominal pain in 78.6% (11/14). Mean size of resected lesions was larger compared to non-resected lesions (10.3 vs 4.8 cm; P = 0.004). Postoperative morbidity occurred in three patients (21.4%). One patient had persisting abdominal pain after resection of an 8-cm hemangioma. Twenty patients were observed and showed no complications related to the liver hemangioma during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Liver hemangiomas can be readily diagnosed by ultrasound or multiphase contrast-enhanced helical CT. The indications for surgical resection are progressive abdominal pain in combination with size >5 cm. Observation is justified in patients with minimal or no symptoms, even in patients with giant hemangiomas.

Mike

[LivingInHope]

It's really great if the radiologist was able to get the height, depth, and width of your hemangioma!  They didn't do that on either of mine!  As Mike posted, a giant one is quite a bit larger than yours.  They say typically they don't cause any pain if it is smaller than 4 cm, I believe.  You may want to get a follow up scan in awhile to see if it has grown larger.  I waited years, because I was told apparently my hemangioma had disappeared because it didn't show up apparently on a f/up ultrasound a short time after it was discovered.  I wanted to find out if it was still there because I was having upper right abdominal pain and from what I read, hemangiomas don't disappear.  This time they found two- and what I believe was the one found years ago had grown, but it is still smaller than 4 cm and the doc doesn't think it's causing any of my pain.  I learned part of my pain was costochondritis.

[LivingInHope]

Also, if the radiologist is not positive about it being a hemangioma, MRI with the right kind of dye is the most accurate way I've seen online to definitively diagnose hemangioma, much more accurate than ultrasound.

[Bface]

Thank you guys for the information given, I'm most grateful!