Semin Liver Dis 2008; 28(3): 302-314
DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1085098
© Thieme Medical Publishers

Benign and Malignant Vascular Tumors of the Liver in Adults

Paulette Bioulac-Sage1 , 5 , Hervé Laumonier2 , Christophe Laurent3 , Jean Frédéric Blanc4 , 5 , Charles Balabaud4 , 5
  • 1Department of Pathology, Hôpital Pellegrin, CHU Bordeaux, France
  • 2Department of Radiology, CHU Bordeaux, France
  • 3Department of Surgery, CHU Bordeaux, France
  • 4Hepatology, Hôpital St André-CHU Bordeaux, France
  • 5Inserm U889, Université Victor Segalen Bordeaux 2, Bordeaux, France
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
23 September 2008 (online)

ABSTRACT

Vascular tumors of the liver in adult patients include cavernous hemangioma, a common benign tumor; epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, a rare, usually low-grade malignant tumor; and angiosarcoma, a rare and very aggressive tumor. All these primary mesenchymal tumors develop on a normal liver and may also affect other organs. Their pathogenesis remains largely unknown. Hepatic tumors are increasingly detected incidentally due to widespread use of modern abdominal imaging techniques. Therefore, reliable noninvasive characterization and differentiation of such liver tumors is of major importance for clinical practice. Hemangioma follows a benign course, and a nonoperative approach for the majority of these lesions is recommended. A definitive diagnosis of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma and angiosarcoma requires histopathologic examination. Liver transplantation at an early stage has greatly improved the prognosis of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma. The prognosis of angiosarcoma remains dismal. Designing a worldwide database that contains all data about patients with these rare diseases is recommended.

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Professeur Paulette Bioulac-SageM.D. 

Department of Pathology, Hôpital Pellegrin, CHU Bordeaux

33076 Bordeaux, France

Email: paulette.bioulac-sage@chu-bordeaux.fr

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