General Surgery

Answer 3 Adenomas are benign liver tumors associated with oral contraceptive use in young women and should always be resected because of their high frequency of malignant transformation into hepatocellular cancer. Hepatic adenomas are benign liver tumors, most commonly reported in young women taking oral contraceptives. However, the malignant transformation rate is less than 5%. In selected cases when patients experience pain or other symptoms (eg, duodenal obstruction, development of platelet-associated bleeding dysfunction), resection of the hemangioma is indicated. Focal nodular hyperplasia has the radiographic finding of a central scar. Only with very large lesions, when the patient is symptomatic or the diagnosis cannot be assured, is surgery indicated. Simple hepatic cysts are common and rarely require surgical intervention, except in symptomatic patients. Click here to return to the questions

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