Causes of Liver Hemangioma

Hemangioma is basically a birthmark, which appears like a bright red skin patch or accumulation of blood vessels either in the skin or internal organs. The term hemangioma is derived from the Greek words for blood (hema), angeio (vessel) and tumor (oma). It is usually manifested in the early childhood days. In fact, hemangioma is the most common benign tumor developed during the early stages of life. It resolves on its own over a period of time.

Liver hemangioma, as the term indicates, refers to hemangioma of the liver. It is asymptomatic and rarely affects the liver function. Also known as hepatic hemangioma, it is the second most common hemangioma case next to skin type. The causes of liver hemangioma are not clear as yet. The suggested reasons for development of hepatic hemangioma vary between different research groups. Overall, about 30 percent of liver hemangiomas are present at the time of birth.

What Causes Liver Hemangioma?

As already mentioned, the exact causes of liver hemangioma are not identified till now. Hemangioma in liver may be formed when the child is in the mother's womb (during gestation) or developed after birth. Many people consider hepatic hemangioma as a congenital defect; while some opined it as a result of hormonal imbalance. There are no sufficient clinical trials that prove either of the statements. Medical studies are ongoing for finding the possible causes of hemangioma of liver.

Since the problem of liver hemangioma is related to overproduction of the blood vessels, it is believed that liver hemangioma may be caused due to the abnormal growth of endothelial cells that are linings of the blood vessels. It is also observed that the chances of developing liver hemangioma are more in the right lobe of the liver than the left one. It is estimated that about 7 percent of the healthy population have hemangioma of the liver.

The usage of steroids and oral contraceptives are shown to exacerbate the growth of liver hemangioma. However, the query as to these therapeutic drugs directly induce development of hemangioma in liver is unclear. The risk factors for causing liver hemangioma include age, sex, hormonal imbalance and hormonal therapy. Even though hemangioma of the liver is diagnosed prenatally, it is more common in the age group between 30-50 years.

The occurrence of liver hemangioma is about four to five times more among women than men. Women are at a higher risk of developing larger sized liver hemangioma than men. Also, it is most commonly manifested in women during pregnancy. Hence, medical researchers are of the opinion that abnormalities in the sex linked gene and/or female sex hormones (estrogen) may be responsible for causing liver hemangioma.

Though most of the hemangioma in babies disappear before they turn 10 years old, hepatic hemangioma may remain throughout the entire life. It is often diagnosed while conducting imaging tests for other health conditions. The results of imaging studies show the tangle mass of poorly developed blood vessels in the liver.

Speaking about the notable symptoms of liver hemangioma, pain, dizziness and liver enlargement are most common. At times, rupture of giant liver hemangioma (size more than 5 cm) may result in excessive bleeding, which is a life-threatening condition. Nevertheless, the symptoms and removal of hepatic hemangioma may differ based on the size, exact location and severity of the hemangioma.