FNH

[LADYBLEE]

I HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH FNH, HAVE SEEN GARTRO CT SCANS, MRI'S, LIVER SPECT SCAN, ALSO SPECIALIST IN NEWYORK AND THE OUTCOME WAS LARGE MASS 9.7 X 9.7. I ALSO HAVE PAIN EVERYDAY BECAUSE THIS MASS IS PRESSING AGAINST MY STOMACH (AS PER LIVER SPECIALIST) AND THE ONLY WAY TO ALLEVIATE THE PAIN IS TO HAVE SURGERY, I HAVE THROMBOCYTOPENIA (LOW PLATELETS) THATS WHY I NEVER HAD BIOPSY, AND I'M ANEMIC. MY QUESTION IS IS THERE ANY OTHER RESOURCE TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM TAKEN CARE OF. THE SPECIALIST WAS SO CUT AND DRY.. PLEASE HELP....LADYB LEE

[momto2]

Hi! I know what you are going through. I have 2 lesions they suspect are FNH. For some reason the physicians seem to have a "wait and see" approach to surgery on the liver. One of my lesions has decreased but the other one has grown. I have read a few times where people with benign lesions have had them removed by laproscopic surgery. The tumors were "burned " out. I think they have to be less than a certain size though. I just don't understand why we have to wait for removal when they will become too large for the easier out patient laproscopic surgery. Keep me posted about what happens and good luck!

[Thomas D Schiano, MD]

FNH should not be operated on unless it causes symptoms or there is concern that the diagnosis may not be correct.  Large FNH may cause portal hypertension and result in low platelets.  If FNH is not the cause of the low platelets then the cause needs to be searched for.  unfortunately it may need to be surgically extirpated.  I am not sure of other treatment modalities short of this.  I would still recommend a second opinion as to whether it really is FNH.