The liver is a large organ that sits in the upper right part of the abdomen, under the ribcage. The liver has many important functions including:

• breaking down and removing waste
• helping the blood to clot
• storing sugar
• making bile

Liver haemangiomas are benign (not cancer) lumps in the liver that are a cluster of abnormal blood vessels. They are quite common, present in up to 20% of people. They may be single or there may be multiple haemangiomas scattered within the liver and can vary in size from small to large. It is not clear why liver haemangiomas develop.

In most patients, liver haemangiomas do not cause any symptoms and are not harmful. Most haemangiomas do not grow or only grow very slowly over time. Rarely, if an haemangioma is very large, it may cause pressure on the stomach or other organs causing discomfort, a feeling of fullness or a lump in the abdomen. Very rarely, giant haemangiomas can rupture and bleed, or destroy blood cells and cause problems with blood clotting.

Liver haemangiomas are usually picked up on a scan such as an ultrasound or CT of the abdomen performed for other reasons. An MRI with injection of a contrast into the bloodstream is sometimes required to confirm the diagnosis.

In most patients, no treatment or follow up is required. Larger haemangiomas are often followed up with periodic scans. Surgery to remove the part of the liver containing the haemangioma is very rarely needed.