Benign liver tumor (focal nodular hyperplasia)
Summary/Definition
Focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver is the second most common benign liver tumor after hemangioma. Unlike liver adenoma, there is no data that would indicate the connection between taking contraceptive pills and the development of focal nodular hyperplasia. However, it is known that women who take contraceptive pills and who have been diagnosed with this disease have a high risk of bleeding.
It is known that the prevalence rate of focal nodular hyperplasia in adults is 0.4-2.6%. The disease can occur at any age, regardless of gender, but most often occurs in women aged 20 to 50 years.
Symptoms
In about 75% of cases, the disease is asymptomatic and is detected by chance. Women taking oral contraceptives have a 50% chance of showing symptoms. Usually, there are painless tumor masses or complaints of pain in the upper abdomen caused by bleeding or necrosis inside the lesion, which also often happens in women taking oral contraceptives.
Diagnostics
Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the abdominal cavity are usually used for diagnosis. A characteristic feature is a scar in the form of a star in the center of the node. A liver biopsy may be required for final confirmation of the diagnosis, and even if the tumor is confirmed by ultrasound and during a biopsy, its differentiation from liver adenoma or highly differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma remains a difficult task.
Treatment and course of the disease
Focal nodular hyperplasia is most often asymptomatic and does not require treatment since it is not a precancerous lesion. However, in cases where differentiation between focal nodular hyperplasia and tumor mass inside the liver is difficult based on the results of imaging studies or biopsy, the possibility of surgical resection for diagnosis and treatment is considered.
