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Hepatocellular adenoma is a benign tumor of the liver. However, it can become malignant (transformed into cancer), although this is quite rare. Especially women using estrogen-containing oral contraceptives and men using anabolic steroids should know about it, because they are more likely to develop this type of cancer. What are the causes and symptoms of hepatocellular adenoma? How is the treatment going?

Hepatocellular adenoma , or hepatic adenoma, is a benign tumor of the liver made of hepatocytes (or liver cells). The most common form is a single tumor, but multiple adenomas may also develop. If there are more than 10, it is referred to asof hepatic adenomatosis.

Hepatocellular adenoma is - apart from focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver and hepatic hemangioma - the most common benign tumor of this organ.

Hepatocellular adenoma - causes

The causes of hepatocellular adenoma are unknown, but it has been noted that it is more common in women who have used estrogen-containing oral contraceptives for a long time.

The higher the estrogen dose, the greater the risk of developing hepatocellular adenoma

It has been scientifically shown that the risk of developing hepatocellular adenoma in this group of women increases 30-40 times compared to women who do not take hormonal contraceptive pills. Therefore, age is also important - cancer is most often diagnosed in women aged 15-45.

In turn, in men, the use of anabolic steroids is a risk factor for the development of this cancer. According to the observations of doctors, hepatocellular adenomas also occur in patients with diabetes.

Hepatocellular adenoma - symptoms

Hepatic adenoma is usually asymptomatic or non-symptomatic. Sometimes, however, the patient may complain about:

  • discomfort in the right hypochondrium. Abdominal pain in the upper right abdomen may appear if the tumor is large
  • there is a thickening, a bump under the costal arch (rare)

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There may also be bleeding into the peritoneal cavity as a result of rupture of the tumor, which is also associated with pain.

Important

Women who have been diagnosed with a hepatic adenoma must stop taking birth control pills. They cannot be used even after the operational removal of the lesion.

Hepatocellular adenoma - diagnosis

If a hepatocellular adenoma is suspected, an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity is performed. However, cancer is usually diagnosed by chance on ultrasound for other reasons. As an aid, your doctor may order tests, such as contrast-enhanced computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging with contrast, scintigraphy, and angiography.

Blood tests sometimes show elevated parameters of cholestasis if the tumor causes pressure on the bile ducts.

In the course of diagnostics, the doctor should also exclude other possible diseases, such as, among others: hepatocellular carcinoma, echinococcosis (the tumor may be a echinococcal cyst, indicative of an infection with echinococcosis), focal fatty liver, focal nodular hyperplasia.

Hepatocellular adenoma - treatment

Liver adenoma, although it is a benign tumor, can turn into a malignant tumor. In addition, there is a risk of bleeding from the tumor into the abdominal cavity. Therefore, the doctor should decide to surgically remove it by cutting out the appropriate part of the liver along with the tumor.

If the patient does not qualify for surgery and the tumor may rupture or may bleed, consider embolization, i.e. burning the blood supply to the tumor.

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Category:

Oncology