Giant Exophytic Cavernous Hemangioma Of The Liver In A Middle-aged West-african Woman: A Case Report

Abstract

Background: Hemangiomas are the most common benign liver tumor. While the majority of these lesions remain asymptomatic, the giant ones often produce symptoms that would prompt intervention. Modern imaging studies have made diagnosing most of these lesions pre-operatively possible. However, as our case presentation illustrates, in resource-poor countries with limited availability of modern imaging studies, diagnosis may still be delayed. Case Report: We present a 54-year-old woman who was referred to us on account of a symptomatic abdominal mass that was found, on ultrasound, to be heterogenous in nature and located in the upper abdomen. She was subsequently able to do only an abdominal computed tomography, which was not typical for the diagnosis of hemangioma. She had surgical resection of the liver mass with an uneventful recovery. Her symptoms resolved afterwards, and the mass was confirmed to be a hemangioma histologically. We reviewed the clinical peculiarities of exophytic liver hemangiomas and their radiological features, especially the essential diagnostic features on axial imaging. The various treatment options for symptomatic hemangiomas were explored, including the advantages of enucleation and why our patient could not benefit from it. Conclusion: Liver hemangiomas may require treatment when symptomatic. These lesions can be diagnosed with high-quality radiological imaging and surgically resected if indicated. Where imaging facilities are scarce, thorough patient evaluation and sound surgical decision-making are emphasised