AJR 2002; 179:1457-1463.
Coumbaras M, Wendum D, Monnier-Cholley L, Dahan H, Tubiana JM, Arrive L.
Although hepatic hemangiomas are the most common benign tumors of the liver, giant hemangiomas of the liver are markedly less common. They are defined as lesions greater than 4 cm in diameter. However, some authors [1-3] have defined giant hemangiomas of the liver as lesions greater than 6 or 10 cm in diameter. Liver enlargement and abdominal discomfort may be observed in patients with giant he-mangioma of the liver [1].
In most patients, giant hemangiomas of the liver are heterogeneous with a markedly hypoattenuating central area depicted on unenhanced CT. On dynamic contrast-enhanced CT, complete filling of the lesion is rarely shown. Similarly, the central area is frequently markedly hypointense on Tl-weighted MR images and markedly hyperintense on T2-weighted MR images.