Deb401
10-20-2004, 09:08 PM
In June I had a neck & chest CT scan(looking for something in my neck) and unexpectedly they saw 3 masses on my liver- one was 8cm and the other two about 2.5 - I had a liver biopsy done a few days later which showed consistant with hemangioma - my question is - do I need to follow up with this with someone? do I need to have this big one removed? Will it affect my life if I leave it alone? I really don't know much about this - nor do I think I ever would have known if not for the CT scan. Thanks
Debbie
Debbie
Sponsor
feelbad
10-21-2004, 09:34 AM
isn't it amazing in how when you start looking for one thing,they find another?Mine was found inside my spinal cord when i had an MRI to find out which disc was herniated.Mine was 4x6x8mms,and directly inside the middle of my spinal cord at the c 7,T1 level.A hemangioma is basically a glob of blood vessels that decided to form.you probably were most likely born with them.Have you ever seen a child with one of those 'strawberry" birth marks? this is what a hemangioma is.The same exact thing,only it formed somewhere inside the body instead of outside.They are pretty much benign and are kinda just "there" they can bleed, but in the liver at least there is room for it, inside my spinal cord, it was more or less a disaster.When they do bleed, is is usually very very little,but like I said before, in my cord,bad, in your liver/Probably not a huge deal.They are venous not arterial,so at least it is very very low pressure.I would probably consult with a GI doc, but I am guessing that he would probably wish to just leave them alone for now.The good thing here is that they do tend to stay pretty much contained, they don't grow like a cancer would,they are just a birthmark on the inside of the body.i really don't think that you will have a whole lot of problems with this now, or even in the future.I would just see a good GI doc and find out for sure.He will most likely choose to monitor it with an ultrasound like yearly or every couple of years.I hope I helped you with this.and was able to ease your mind somewhat.on a scale of possible bad things that they could have found in your liver,i think this would be the lowest one on the scale.If you have any other questions, please feel free.Take care and don't worry.I know, easier said than done,right?Marcia
Zambucca
10-21-2004, 09:56 AM
Deb401,
I would definately go to a Liver doc. Small hemangiomas on the liver are usually just monitored but I believe that 8cm is not small. There is also the possibility that the original diagnosis could be incorrect. I would get a second opinion! Better to be safe than sorry. I know there are two or three liver lesions that resemble each other. It is real important to confirm which lesion you have. I too have a large and several small lesions on my liver and have been monitoring them for 8 years now. The large one has grown, so now the doc's are talking about removing it. I am not trying to scare you by any means.........it has taken 8 years of follow up before they even considered it. So, my advice is to see a liver doc and ask a lot of questions! Just out of curiosity.............have you taken birth control pill? If so how long? There are lesions called hepatic adenoma's that usually are caused by birth control pills. These lesions tend to look similar to hemangioma's. Take care and keep us posted.
I would definately go to a Liver doc. Small hemangiomas on the liver are usually just monitored but I believe that 8cm is not small. There is also the possibility that the original diagnosis could be incorrect. I would get a second opinion! Better to be safe than sorry. I know there are two or three liver lesions that resemble each other. It is real important to confirm which lesion you have. I too have a large and several small lesions on my liver and have been monitoring them for 8 years now. The large one has grown, so now the doc's are talking about removing it. I am not trying to scare you by any means.........it has taken 8 years of follow up before they even considered it. So, my advice is to see a liver doc and ask a lot of questions! Just out of curiosity.............have you taken birth control pill? If so how long? There are lesions called hepatic adenoma's that usually are caused by birth control pills. These lesions tend to look similar to hemangioma's. Take care and keep us posted.
Deb401
10-21-2004, 12:36 PM
Thank you both for answering me - I really appreciate it - I had only taken birth control for about a year - 12 yrs ago so I don't think it's because of that. I had this neck & chest ct scan and i got called the same day after they said 3 days - because I guess they were concerned about these 3 liver masses seen on the ct scan. I had a liver biopsy - which was the worst experience ever - i ended up having an anxiety attack in the hosp right after and I was there for like 8 hours - it was terrible and I was in so much pain - I had to have demoral shot and some valium..I was wondering what type of doctor I would follow up with? so your saying a GI doctor? or a Liver Specialist? I should get a copy of my slides from the hospital - I know it was alot of pages though. I got nervous after I had the biopsy and I did reading online how dangerous a biopsy was because they could have punctured it- I can't think about it I guess. I'm only 36 yrs old - I shouldn't have to worry about my liver when I also have a mass in my neck that needs further examining. Thanks
Debbie
Debbie
yam
01-25-2005, 01:01 PM
I also have a liver hemangioma. So far, my liver enzymes are okay and my hemangioma has not grown. It has been watched for several years. I have refused to have a liver biopsy due to fear that something will go terribly wrong. Have you been to a liver specialist or any further developments in your case? Just wondering what further action to take.