RESECTION OF PRESUMED BENIGN LIVER-TUMORS

The surgical treatment of benign liver tumours (focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) and hepatic adenoma) remains controversial. From 1984 to 1990, all 51 women aged below .50 years who presented with presumed benign liver tumours and without chronic liver disease underwent tumour resection. Preoperative assessment included liver tests, ultrasonography and dynamic computed tomography in all patients, plus angiography (n = 20), magnetic resonance imaging (n = 22) and technetium-sulphur colloid liver scintigraphy (n = 19). The aims of this study were to compare preoperative and final pathological diagnosis and determine whether surgical treatment was justified. Preoperative assessment suggested FNH in 18 patients and hepatic adenoma in 11. In 22 patients, the distinction between FNH and adenoma could not be determined before operation. Operative procedures included resection of one segment or less in 22 patients, two segments in 14 and three or more segments in 15. There was no postoperative death and no serious complication. The final diagnosis after pathological examination of resected specimens was FNH in 36 patients (71 per cent), including the 18 presumed before operation to have FNH, hepatic adenoma in 12 (24 per cent) and malignant lesions in three (6 per cent): hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) arising in normal liver, fibrolamellar carcinoma, and adenoma containing areas of HCC in one patient each. In conclusion: (1) precise preoperative diagnosis of benign liver tumours remains difficult despite new imaging methods; (2) malignant liver tumours can go unrecognized; and (3) resection of all these lesions can be carried out safely. Resection of presumed benign liver tumours should be performed in young women when a preoperative diagnosis of FNH is not firmly established.