Adult capillary hemangioma of the liver: Report of a case

We report a rare case of capillary hemangioma of the liver in an adult. The patient was a 55-year-old man, admitted for investigation of a hepatic tumor. The tumor was seen as a hypoechoic mass with a peripheral hypoechoic ring on ultrasonography. Computed tomography (CT) showed an enhancement pattern different from that of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or cavernous hemangioma. Ultrasonography-guided biopsy was technically very difficult because the tumor was located just below the diaphragm. We could not establish whether the tumor was HCC or cavernous hemangioma by the imaging findings, so we performed a hepatic resection. Histopathological examination confirmed a diagnosis of capillary hemangioma. Ultrasonography, CT, and magnetic resonance imaging showed an intermediate pattern between cavernous hemangioma and HCC. Thus, we must be aware of the possibility of capillary hemangioma when finding an atypical liver tumor inconsistent with HCC or cavernous hemangioma.