Background

Hemangioma is the most common benign tumor affecting the liver.^[1]Hepatic hemangiomas are mesenchymal in origin and usually are solitary. Some authorities consider them to be benign congenital hamartomas. Hemangiomas are composed of masses of blood vessels that are atypical or irregular in arrangement and size.

The etiology of these lesions remains unknown, although oral contraceptives and steroids may accelerate the growth of a hemangioma. Whether or not these drugs actually induce the formation of the hemangioma is unclear.

Pathophysiology

Although no definite familial or genetic mode of inheritance has been described, Moser et al reported a large family of Italian origin in which three female patients in three successive generations had large symptomatic hepatic hemangiomas.^[2]The authors postulated that restriction of the disease to the female sex could be explained by sex-dependent differences in penetrance, the expression of a presumed liver-hemangioma gene, or the production of proliferative factors, such as female sex hormones.

Several pharmacologic agents have been postulated to promote tumor growth. Steroid therapy,^[3]estrogen therapy, and pregnancy^[4]can increase the size of an already existing hemangioma. One study prospectively evaluated 94 women with hepatic hemangiomas, with a mean follow-up period of 7.3 years (range, 1-17 y).^[5]An increase in the size of the hemangiomas was seen in 23% of women who received hormonal therapy as opposed to 10% of control subjects (P=0.05). Hemangiomas have also been reported in pregnant women following ovarian stimulation therapy with clomiphene citrate and human chorionic gonadotropin.^[6]

United States data

The reported incidence of hepatic hemangiomas is approximately 2%. The prevalence rate at necropsy is as high as 7.4%. The widespread use of noninvasive abdominal imaging modalities has led to increased detection of asymptomatic lesions in vivo.

Sex- and age-related demographics

Women, especially with a history of multiparity, are affected more often than men. The female-to-male ratio is 4-6:1.

Hepatic hemangiomas can occur at all ages, but most are diagnosed in individuals aged 30-50 years. Female patients often present at a younger age and with larger tumors.

Hepatic hemangiomas may be seen in infancy. They have also been detected prenatally in a growing fetus.^{[7, 8]}

Prognosis

Overall, a patient with a hepatic hemangioma has an excellent prognosis. Malignant transformation has not been described.

Complications

Complications depend on the size and location of the tumor. It needs to be emphasized that the following complications are rarely described:

Rupture with resultant hemoperitoneum: Rarely, large tumors rupture spontaneously or after blunt trauma. Patients may present with signs of circulatory shock and hemoperitoneum.
Intratumoral bleeding
Compression of the bile ducts and nearby arteries and veins: One case has been reported of lower extremity edema caused by compression of the inferior vena cava by a cavernous hemangioma of the caudate lobe of the liver.^[9]
Gastric compression: Early satiety, nausea, and vomiting may occur when large lesions compress the stomach, producing gastric outlet obstruction.
Hemobilia
High-output congestive heart failure

Clinical Presentation

Dickie B, Dasgupta R, Nair R, et al. Spectrum of hepatic hemangiomas: management and outcome. J Pediatr Surg. 2009 Jan. 44(1):125-33. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Moser C, Hany A, Spiegel R. [Familial giant hemangiomas of the liver. Study of a family and review of the literature]. Praxis (Bern 1994). 1998 Apr 1. 87(14):461-8. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Takahashi T, Kuwao S, Katagiri H, et al. Multiple liver hemangiomas enlargement during long-term steroid therapy for myasthenia gravis. Dig Dis Sci. 1998 Jul. 43(7):1553-61. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Giannitrapani L, Soresi M, La Spada E, et al. Sex hormones and risk of liver tumor. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2006 Nov. 1089:228-36. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Glinkova V, Shevah O, Boaz M, et al. Hepatic haemangiomas: possible association with female sex hormones. Gut. 2004 Sep. 53(9):1352-5. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Spitzer D, Krainz R, Graf AH, et al. Pregnancy after ovarian stimulation and intrauterine insemination in a woman with cavernous macrohemangioma of the liver. A case report. J Reprod Med. 1997 Dec. 42(12):809-12. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Dreyfus M, Baldauf JJ, Dadoun K, et al. Prenatal diagnosis of hepatic hemangioma. Fetal Diagn Ther. 1996 Jan-Feb. 11(1):57-60. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Dong KR, Zheng S, Xiao X. Conservative management of neonatal hepatic hemangioma: a report from one institute. Pediatr Surg Int. 2009 Jun. 25(6):493-8. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Madhusudhan KS, Srivastava DN, Gamanagatti S. Giant hemangioma of liver presenting as deep vein thrombosis of the lower limbs. J Postgrad Med. 2009 Oct-Dec. 55(4):290-1. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Bajenaru N, Balaban V, Savulescu F, Campeanu I, Patrascu T. Hepatic hemangioma -review-. J Med Life. 2015. 8 Spec Issue:4-11. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Xie QS, Chen ZX, Zhao YJ, Gu H, Geng XP, Liu FB. Outcomes of surgery for giant hepatic hemangioma. BMC Surg. 2021 Apr 8. 21(1):186. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].
Reischle S, Schuller-Petrovic S. Treatment of capillary hemangiomas of early childhood with a new method of cryosurgery. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2000 May. 42(5 Pt 1):809-13. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Aslan A, Meyer Zu Vilsendorf A, Kleine M, Bredt M, Bektas H. Adult Kasabach-Merritt Syndrome due to hepatic giant hemangioma. Case Rep Gastroenterol. 2009 Nov 20. 3(3):306-12. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].
Suzuki T, Tsuchiya N, Ito K. Multiple cavernous hemangiomas of the liver in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. J Rheumatol. 1997 Apr. 24(4):810-1. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Tan ST, Itinteang T, Leadbitter P. Low-dose propranolol for multiple hepatic and cutaneous hemangiomas with deranged liver function. Pediatrics. 2011 Mar. 127(3):e772-6. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Starkey E, Shahidullah H. Propranolol for infantile haemangiomas: a review. Arch Dis Child. 2011 Sep. 96(9):890-3. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Tsai MC, Liu HC, Yeung CY. Efficacy of infantile hepatic hemangioma with propranolol treatment: A case report. Medicine (Baltimore). 2019 Jan. 98 (4):e14078. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].
Yang K, Peng S, Chen L, Chen S, Ji Y. Efficacy of propranolol treatment in infantile hepatic haemangioma. J Paediatr Child Health. 2019 Jan 9. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Huang SA, Tu HM, Harney JW, et al. Severe hypothyroidism caused by type 3 iodothyronine deiodinase in infantile hemangiomas. N Engl J Med. 2000 Jul 20. 343(3):185-9. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Lorette G, Georgesco G, Sirinelli D, et al. [Cutaneous immature hemangioma and hepatic angioma: there is no frequent association]. Ann Dermatol Venereol. 1996. 123(12):789-90. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Goodman Z. Benign tumors of the liver. Okuda K, Ishak KG. Neoplasms of the liver. Tokyo: Springer-Verlag; 1987. 105-25.
Hasan HY, Hinshaw JL, Borman EJ, Gegios A, Leverson G, Winslow ER. Assessing normal growth of hepatic hemangiomas during long-term follow-up. JAMA Surg. 2014 Dec. 149(12):1266-71. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Jing L, Liang H, Caifeng L, et al. New recognition of the natural history and growth pattern of hepatic hemangioma in adults. Hepatol Res. 2016 Jul. 46(8):727-33. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Mikami T, Hirata K, Oikawa I, et al. Hemobilia caused by a giant benign hemangioma of the liver: report of a case. Surg Today. 1998. 28(9):948-52. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Lee CW, Chung YH, Lee GC, et al. A case of giant hemangioma of the liver presenting with fever of unknown origin. J Korean Med Sci. 1994 Apr. 9(2):200-4. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Pol B, Disdier P, Le Treut YP, et al. Inflammatory process complicating giant hemangioma of the liver: report of three cases. Liver Transpl Surg. 1998 May. 4(3):204-7. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Brannigan M, Burns PN, Wilson SR. Blood flow patterns in focal liver lesions at microbubble-enhanced US. Radiographics. 2004 Jul-Aug. 24(4):921-35. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Dietrich CF, Mertens JC, Braden B, et al. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of histologically proven liver hemangiomas. Hepatology. 2007 May. 45(5):1139-45. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
von Herbay A, Vogt C, Willers R, et al. Real-time imaging with the sonographic contrast agent SonoVue: differentiation between benign and malignant hepatic lesions. J Ultrasound Med. 2004 Dec. 23(12):1557-68. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Strobel D, Seitz K, Blank W, et al. Tumor-specific vascularization pattern of liver metastasis, hepatocellular carcinoma, hemangioma and focal nodular hyperplasia in the differential diagnosis of 1,349 liver lesions in contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). Ultraschall Med. 2009 Aug. 30(4):376-82. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Higashihara H, Murakami T, Kim T, et al. Differential diagnosis between metastatic tumors and nonsolid benign lesions of the liver using ferucarbotran-enhanced MR imaging. Eur J Radiol. 2010 Jan. 73(1):125-30. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Vossen JA, Buijs M, Liapi E, Eng J, Bluemke DA, Kamel IR. Receiver operating characteristic analysis of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in differentiating hepatic hemangioma from other hypervascular liver lesions. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 2008 Sep-Oct. 32(5):750-6. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].
Albiin N. MRI of focal liver lesions. Curr Med Imaging Rev. 2012 May. 8(2):107-16. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].
Farges O, Daradkeh S, Bismuth H. Cavernous hemangiomas of the liver: are there any indications for resection?. World J Surg. 1995 Jan-Feb. 19(1):19-24. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Obata S, Matsunaga N, Hayashi K, et al. Fluid-fluid levels in giant cavernous hemangioma of the liver: CT and MRI demonstration. Abdom Imaging. 1998 Nov-Dec. 23(6):600-2. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Duran R, Ronot M, Di Renzo S, Gregoli B, Van Beers BE, Vilgrain V. Is magnetic resonance imaging of hepatic hemangioma any different in liver fibrosis and cirrhosis compared to normal liver?. Eur J Radiol. 2015 May. 84(5):816-22. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Kinnard MF, Alavi A, Rubin RA, et al. Nuclear imaging of solid hepatic masses. Semin Roentgenol. 1995 Oct. 30(4):375-95. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Krause T, Hauenstein K, Studier-Fischer B, et al. Improved evaluation of technetium-99m-red blood cell SPECT in hemangioma of the liver. J Nucl Med. 1993 Mar. 34(3):375-80. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Tsai CC, Yen TC, Tzen KY. Pedunculated giant liver hemangioma mimicking a hypervascular gastric tumor on Tc-99m RBC SPECT. Clin Nucl Med. 1999 Feb. 24(2):132-3. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
De Franco A, Monteforte MG, Maresca G, et al. [Integrated diagnosis of liver angioma: comparison of Doppler color ultrasonography, computerized tomography, and magnetic resonance]. Radiol Med. 1997 Jan-Feb. 93(1-2):87-94. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Okano A, Sonoyama H, Masano Y, et al. The natural history of a hepatic angiosarcoma that was difficult to differentiate from cavernous hemangioma. Intern Med. 2012. 51(20):2899-904. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Heo SH, Jeong YY, Shin SS, Chung TW, Kang HK. Solitary small hepatic angiosarcoma: initial and follow-up imaging findings. Korean J Radiol. 2007 Mar-Apr. 8(2):180-3. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].
Pickhardt PJ, Kitchin D, Lubner MG, Ganeshan DM, Bhalla S, Covey AM. Primary hepatic angiosarcoma: multi-institutional comprehensive cancer centre review of multiphasic CT and MR imaging in 35 patients. Eur Radiol. 2015 Feb. 25(2):315-22. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Heilo A, Stenwig AE. Liver hemangioma: US-guided 18-gauge core-needle biopsy. Radiology. 1997 Sep. 204(3):719-22. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Bruix J, Sherman M, Llovet JM, et al. Clinical management of hepatocellular carcinoma. Conclusions of the Barcelona-2000 EASL conference. European Association for the Study of the Liver. J Hepatol. 2001 Sep. 35(3):421-30. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Craig JR, Peters RL, Edmondson HA. Tumors of the liver and intrahepatic bile ducts. Atlas of tumor pathology. Washington, D.C.: Armed Forces Institute of Pathology; 1989. Second series, fasc. 26: 56-62.
Ishak KG, Markin RS. Liver. Damjanov I, Linder J, eds. Anderson's Pathology. 10th ed. Mosby: St. Louis, Mo; 1996. 1834.
Gibney RG, Hendin AP, Cooperberg PL. Sonographically detected hepatic hemangiomas: absence of change over time. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1987 Nov. 149(5):953-7. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Mahajan D, Miller C, Hirose K, McCullough A, Yerian L. Incidental reduction in the size of liver hemangioma following use of VEGF inhibitor bevacizumab. J Hepatol. 2008 Nov. 49(5):867-70. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Yamashita S, Okita K, Harada K, et al. Giant cavernous hepatic hemangioma shrunk by use of sorafenib. Clin J Gastroenterol. 2013 Feb. 6(1):55-62. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].
Miura JT, Amini A, Schmocker R, et al. Surgical management of hepatic hemangiomas: a multi-institutional experience. HPB (Oxford). 2014 Oct. 16(10):924-8. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Belli G, D'Agostino A, Fantini C, et al. Surgical treatment of giant liver hemangiomas by enucleation using an ultrasonically activated device (USAD). Hepatogastroenterology. 2009 Jan-Feb. 56(89):236-9. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Mocchegiani F, Vincenzi P, Coletta M, et al. Prevalence and clinical outcome of hepatic haemangioma with specific reference to the risk of rupture: A large retrospective cross-sectional study. Dig Liver Dis. 2016 Mar. 48(3):309-14. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Jain V, Ramachandran V, Garg R, Pal S, Gamanagatti SR, Srivastava DN. Spontaneous rupture of a giant hepatic hemangioma - sequential management with transcatheter arterial embolization and resection. Saudi J Gastroenterol. 2010 Apr-Jun. 16(2):116-9. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].
Corigliano N, Mercantini P, Amodio PM, et al. Hemoperitoneum from a spontaneous rupture of a giant hemangioma of the liver: report of a case. Surg Today. 2003. 33(6):459-63. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Ribeiro MAF, Papaiordanou F, Goncalves JM, Chaib E. Spontaneous rupture of hepatic hemangiomas: A review of the literature. World J Hepatol. 2010 Dec 27. 2(12):428-33. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].
Donati M, Stavrou GA, Donati A, Oldhafer KJ. The risk of spontaneous rupture of liver hemangiomas: a critical review of the literature. J Hepatobiliary Pancreat Sci. 2011 Nov. 18(6):797-805. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Plackett TP, Lin-Hurtubise KM. Hepatic hemangiomas and parachuting. Aviat Space Environ Med. 2008 Oct. 79(10):986-8. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Schnelldorfer T, Ware AL, Smoot R, Schleck CD, Harmsen WS, Nagorney DM. Management of giant hemangioma of the liver: resection versus observation. J Am Coll Surg. 2010 Dec. 211(6):724-30. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Arnoletti JP, Brodsky J. Surgical treatment of benign hepatic mass lesions. Am Surg. 1999 May. 65(5):431-3. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Fu XH, Lai EC, Yao XP, et al. Enucleation of liver hemangiomas: is there a difference in surgical outcomes for centrally or peripherally located lesions?. Am J Surg. 2009 Aug. 198(2):184-7. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Zhu H, Obeidat K, Ouyang J, Roayaie S, Schwartz ME, Thung SN. Recurrent giant hemangiomas of liver: Report of two rare cases with literature review. World J Gastrointest Surg. 2012 Nov 27. 4(11):262-6. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].
Deutsch GS, Yeh KA, Bates WB 3rd, Tannehill WB. Embolization for management of hepatic hemangiomas. Am Surg. 2001 Feb. 67(2):159-64. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Srivastava DN, Gandhi D, Seith A, et al. Transcatheter arterial embolization in the treatment of symptomatic cavernous hemangiomas of the liver: a prospective study. Abdom Imaging. 2001 Sep-Oct. 26(5):510-4. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Zeng Q, Li Y, Chen Y, et al. Gigantic cavernous hemangioma of the liver treated by intra-arterial embolization with pingyangmycin-lipiodol emulsion: a multi-center study. Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol. 2004 Sep-Oct. 27(5):481-5. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Bozkaya H, Cinar C, Besir FH, Parıldar M, Oran I. Minimally invasive treatment of giant haemangiomas of the liver: embolisation with bleomycin. Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol. 2014 Feb. 37(1):101-7. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Rokitansky AM, Jakl RJ, Gopfrich H, et al. Special compression sutures: a new surgical technique to achieve a quick decrease in shunt volume caused by diffuse hemangiomatosis of the liver. Pediatr Surg Int. 1998 Nov. 14(1-2):119-21. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Hinshaw JL, Laeseke PJ, Weber SM, Lee FT Jr. Multiple-electrode radiofrequency ablation of symptomatic hepatic cavernous hemangioma. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2007 Sep. 189(3):W146-9. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Park SY, Tak WY, Jung MK, et al. Symptomatic-enlarging hepatic hemangiomas are effectively treated by percutaneous ultrasonography-guided radiofrequency ablation. J Hepatol. 2011 Mar. 54(3):559-65. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Fan RF, Chai FL, He GX, et al. Laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation of hepatic cavernous hemangioma. A preliminary experience with 27 patients. Surg Endosc. 2006 Feb. 20(2):281-5. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
van Tilborg AA, Nielsen K, Scheffer HJ, et al. Bipolar radiofrequency ablation for symptomatic giant (>10 cm) hepatic cavernous haemangiomas: initial clinical experience. Clin Radiol. 2013 Jan. 68(1):e9-e14. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Sharpe EE 3rd, Dodd GD 3rd. Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of symptomatic giant hepatic cavernous hemangiomas: report of two cases and review of literature. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2012 Jul. 23(7):971-5. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Gaspar L, Mascarenhas F, da Costa MS, Dias JS, Afonso JG, Silvestre ME. Radiation therapy in the unresectable cavernous hemangioma of the liver. Radiother Oncol. 1993 Oct. 29(1):45-50. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Biswal BM, Sandhu M, Lal P, et al. Role of radiotherapy in cavernous hemangioma liver. Indian J Gastroenterol. 1995 Jul. 14(3):95-8. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Tepetes K, Selby R, Webb M, et al. Orthotopic liver transplantation for benign hepatic neoplasms. Arch Surg. 1995 Feb. 130(2):153-6. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Vagefi PA, Klein I, Gelb B, et al. Emergent orthotopic liver transplantation for hemorrhage from a giant cavernous hepatic hemangioma: case report and review. J Gastrointest Surg. 2011 Jan. 15(1):209-14. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].
Okano A, Sonoyama H, Masano Y, et al. The natural history of a hepatic angiosarcoma that was difficult to differentiate from cavernous hemangioma. Intern Med. 2012. 51(20):2899-904. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Ozmen E, Adaletli I, Kayadibi Y, et al. The impact of share wave elastography in differentiation of hepatic hemangioma from malignant liver tumors in pediatric population. Eur J Radiol. 2014 Sep. 83(9):1691-7. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Hsi Dickie B, Fishman SJ, Azizkhan RG. Hepatic vascular tumors. Semin Pediatr Surg. 2014 Aug. 23(4):168-72. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Hardie AD, Egbert RE, Rissing MS. Improved differentiation between hepatic hemangioma and metastases on diffusion-weighted MRI by measurement of standard deviation of apparent diffusion coefficient. Clin Imaging. 2015 Jul-Aug. 39(4):654-8. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Kumar N, Adam SZ, Goodhartz LA, Hoff FL, Lo AA, Miller FH. Beyond hepatic hemangiomas: the diverse appearances of gastrointestinal and genitourinary hemangiomas. Abdom Imaging. 2015 Oct. 40(8):3313-29. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].
Bai DS, Chen P, Qian JJ, et al. Modified laparoscopic hepatectomy for hepatic hemangioma. Surg Endosc. 2015 Nov. 29(11):3414-21. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

Media Gallery

Hemangioma of the liver as seen on ultrasound. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/James Heilman, MD (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hemangiomaliver.PNG).
Hepatic hemangioma. (a): Transverse sonogram of left lobe of liver presenting a typical hyperechogenic hemangioma. (b) and (c): Two different hypoechogenic liver lesions suspected to be atypical hemangioma, subsequently confirmed by computed tomography scanning. Courtesy of BMC Gastroenterology (https://bmcgastroenterol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-230X-11-43).
Hepatic hemangioma. Moderately (a) and heavily (b) T2-weighted magnetic resonance images show typical bright lesions. Courtesy of BMC Gastroenterology https://bmcgastroenterol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-230X-11-43).
Hepatic hemangioma. (A) On plain computed tomography (CT) scan, an oval, low-density lesion with clear boundaries and central liquefactive necrosis is seen). (B) and (C): CT-enhanced scans show nodular enhancement at the edges of the lesion during the early arterial phase, and a higher density than the normal liver, appearing as the “fast out, slow in” sign. Courtesy of PLoS One (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0135158).

of 4

Author

David C Wolf, MD, FACP, FACG, AGAF, FAASLD Medical Director of Liver Transplantation, Westchester Medical Center; Professor of Clinical Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatobiliary Diseases, Department of Medicine, New York Medical College

David C Wolf, MD, FACP, FACG, AGAF, FAASLD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, American College of Gastroenterology, American College of Physicians, American Gastroenterological Association

Disclosure: Serve(d) as a speaker or a member of a speakers bureau for: Salix; Gilead; Abbvie; Intercept; Merck.

Coauthor(s)

Unnithan V Raghuraman, MD, FACG, FACP, FRCP Consulting Staff, Department of Gastroenterology, St John Medical Center

Unnithan V Raghuraman, MD, FACG, FACP, FRCP is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, American College of Gastroenterology, American College of Physicians, American Gastroenterological Association, American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Received salary from Medscape for employment. for: Medscape.

Chief Editor

BS Anand, MD Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Baylor College of Medicine

BS Anand, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association, American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Additional Contributors

Vivek V Gumaste, MD Associate Professor of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine of New York University; Adjunct Clinical Assistant, Mount Sinai Hospital; Director, Division of Gastroenterology, City Hospital Center at Elmhurst; Program Director of GI Fellowship (Independent Program); Regional Director of Gastroenterology, Queens Health Network

Vivek V Gumaste, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Hepatic Hemangiomas

Background

Pathophysiology