Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer in adults and is currently the most common cause of death in people with cirrhosis. HCC is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide.
Liver tumors are abnormal growth of liver cells on or in the liver. Several distinct types of tumors can develop in the liver because the liver is made up of various cell types. Liver tumors can be classified as benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous) growths. They may be discovered on medical imaging, and the diagnosis is often confirmed with liver biopsy. Signs and symptoms of liver masses vary from being asymptomatic to patients presenting with an abdominal mass, hepatomegaly, abdominal pain, jaundice, or some other liver dysfunction. Treatment varies and is highly specific to the type of liver tumor.
In medical or research imaging, an incidental imaging finding is an unanticipated finding which is not related to the original diagnostic inquiry. As with other types of incidental medical findings, they may represent a diagnostic, ethical, and philosophical dilemma because their significance is unclear. While some coincidental findings may lead to beneficial diagnoses, others may lead to overdiagnosis that results in unnecessary testing and treatment, sometimes called the "cascade effect".
A Klatskin tumor is a cholangiocarcinoma occurring at the confluence of the right and left hepatic bile ducts. The disease was named after Gerald Klatskin, who in 1965 described 15 cases and found some characteristics for this type of cholangiocarcinoma
An infantile hemangioma (IH), sometimes called a strawberry mark due to appearance, is a type of benign vascular tumor or anomaly that affects babies. Other names include capillary hemangioma, "strawberry hemangioma", strawberry birthmark and strawberry nevus. and formerly known as a cavernous hemangioma. They appear as a red or blue raised lesion on the skin. Typically, they begin during the first four weeks of life, growing until about five months of life, and then shrinking in size and disappearing over the next few years. Often skin changes remain after they shrink. Complications may include pain, bleeding, ulcer formation, disfigurement, or heart failure. It is the most common tumor of orbit and periorbital areas in childhood. It may occur in the skin, subcutaneous tissues and mucous membranes of oral cavities and lips as well as in extracutaneous locations including the liver and gastrointestinal tract.
Hemangioendotheliomas are a family of vascular neoplasms of intermediate malignancy.
Pleomorphic adenoma is a common benign salivary gland neoplasm characterised by neoplastic proliferation of epithelial (ductal) cells along with myoepithelial components, having a malignant potentiality. It is the most common type of salivary gland tumor and the most common tumor of the parotid gland. It derives its name from the architectural Pleomorphism seen by light microscopy. It is also known as "Mixed tumor, salivary gland type", which refers to its dual origin from epithelial and myoepithelial elements as opposed to its pleomorphic appearance.
Hepatectomy is the surgical resection of the liver. While the term is often employed for the removal of the liver from a liver transplant donor, this article will focus on partial resections of hepatic tissue and hepatoportoenterostomy.
Kasabach–Merritt syndrome (KMS), also known as hemangioma with thrombocytopenia, is a rare disease, usually of infants, in which a vascular tumor leads to decreased platelet counts and sometimes other bleeding problems, which can be life-threatening. It is also known as hemangioma thrombocytopenia syndrome. It is named after Haig Haigouni Kasabach and Katharine Krom Merritt, the two pediatricians who first described the condition in 1940.
Hepatocellular adenoma is a rare, benign liver tumor. It most commonly occurs in people with elevated systemic levels of estrogen, classically in women taking estrogen-containing oral contraceptive medication.
Liver cancer, also known as hepatic cancer, primary hepatic cancer, or primary hepatic malignancy, is cancer that starts in the liver. Liver cancer can be primary in which the cancer starts in the liver, or it can be liver metastasis, or secondary, in which the cancer spreads from elsewhere in the body to the liver. Liver metastasis is the more common of the two liver cancers. Instances of liver cancer are increasing globally.
A liver metastasis is a malignant tumor in the liver that has spread from another organ affected by cancer. The liver is a common site for metastatic disease because of its rich, dual blood supply. Metastatic tumors in the liver are 20 times more common than primary tumors. In 50% of all cases the primary tumor is of the gastrointestinal tract; other common sites include the breast, ovaries, bronchus and kidney. Patients with Colorectal cancer will develop liver metastases during the disease
A vascular anomaly is any of a range of lesions from a simple birthmark to a large tumor that may be disfiguring. They are caused by a disorder of the vascular system. A vascular anomaly is a localized defect in blood or lymph vessels. These defects are characterized by an increased number of vessels, and vessels that are both enlarged and sinuous. Some vascular anomalies are congenital, others appear within weeks to years after birth, and others are acquired by trauma or during pregnancy. Inherited vascular anomalies are also described and often present with a number of lesions that increase with age. Vascular anomalies can also be a part of a syndrome.
Diffuse neonatal hemangiomatosis (DNH) is a potentially fatal disorder where multiple benign (non-cancerous) blood vessel tumors (hemangiomas) are present in the skin and other organs. The mortality rate of diffuse neonatal hemangiomatosis is 50-90%. This disease is normally found in female Caucasian infants. The most common site of internal organ damage, or lesions, is the liver, which can redirect blood away from the heart and cause arteriovenous shunting. This can cause high cardiac output, leading to further complications such as congestive heart failure. This condition affecting the liver is also known as infantile hepatic hemangioma (IHH). Other sites of internal organ damage can include the intestines, nervous system, lungs, and sometimes the skeletal system. Early detection and treatment with steroids results in most newborn babies with this disease remaining healthy, with serious problems developing for some individuals during the hemangioma's growth phase.
Computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis is an application of computed tomography (CT) and is a sensitive method for diagnosis of abdominal diseases. It is used frequently to determine stage of cancer and to follow progress. It is also a useful test to investigate acute abdominal pain. Renal stones, appendicitis, pancreatitis, diverticulitis, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and bowel obstruction are conditions that are readily diagnosed and assessed with CT. CT is also the first line for detecting solid organ injury after trauma.
Cavernous hemangioma, also called cavernous angioma, venous malformation, or cavernoma, is a type of venous malformation due to endothelial dysmorphogenesis from a lesion which is present at birth. A cavernoma in the brain is called a cerebral cavernous malformation or CCM. Despite its designation as a hemangioma, a cavernous hemangioma is not a tumor as it does not display endothelial hyperplasia. The abnormal tissue causes a slowing of blood flow through the cavities, or "caverns". The blood vessels do not form the necessary junctions with surrounding cells, and the structural support from the smooth muscle is hindered, causing leakage into the surrounding tissue. It is the leakage of blood, referred to as hemorrhage, that causes a variety of symptoms known to be associated with the condition.
A cavernous liver hemangioma or hepatic hemangioma is a benign tumor of the liver composed of large vascular spaces lined by monolayer hepatic endothelial cells. It is the most common benign liver tumour, and is usually asymptomatic and diagnosed incidentally on radiological imaging or during laparotomy for other intra-abdominal issues. Liver hemangiomas are thought to be congenital in origin with an incidence rate of 0.4 – 7.3% as reported in autopsy series.
Liver regeneration is the process by which the liver is able to replace lost liver tissue. The liver is the only visceral organ with the capacity to regenerate. The liver can regenerate after partial surgical removal or chemical injury. As little as 51% of the original liver mass is required for the organ to regenerate back to full size. The process of regeneration in mammals is mainly compensatory growth because while the lost mass of the liver is replaced, it does not regain its original shape. During compensatory hyperplasia, the remaining liver tissue becomes larger so that the organ can continue to function. In lower species such as fish, the liver can regain both its original size and mass.
Portal vein embolization (PVE) is a preoperative procedure performed in interventional radiology to initiate hypertrophy of the anticipated future liver remnant a couple weeks prior to a major liver resection procedure. The procedure involves injecting the right or left portal vein with embolic material to occlude portal blood flow. By occluding the blood flow to areas of the liver that will be resected away, the blood is diverted to healthy parts of the liver and induces hyperplasia. This may allow for a more extensive resection or stage bilateral resections that would otherwise be contraindicated resulting in better oncological treatment outcomes.
Ultrasonography of liver tumors involves two stages: detection and characterization.
