Before the rupture:
In my own experience, I didn't have any localised symptoms that could help me self-diagnose. Looking back, however, I do recall that a few months before the HA ruptured, I experienced a severe 'wind' (pain in lower chest) after having worn snug fitting clothing (wedding dress) [At the time, I wrote it off to all the food I ate at my wedding!]. Atleast 6 months before the rupture, I was burping more often and suffering from indigestion from time to time but I didn't think it could be anything serious (found out afterwards that this can be a sign that there could be a foreign mass such as a tumour that is impacting on digestion/putting pressure on the digestive system). I did however suffer from other symptoms [for a large part of the time that I was on the pill and afterwards] which I feel must be associated with the HA: mood swings (hormonal), irregular cycle, over production of prolactin (hormone), occassional headaches, constipation, times of bloating in the stomach associated with eating (at the time thought it was irritable bowel syndrome), mild nose bleeding (not running, but small amounts of blood found inside my mucous), occassional lack of energy, low libido, inexplicable chest pain, (I think I can recall a few months or weeks before the rupture that at one point I experienced inexplicable skin itching (no sign of insect bites, just itching) etc
During the rupture - refer Q&A section
After the rupture
It has been a long journey for me since the rupture and I have experienced a wide range of symptoms/side effects at varying degrees with the lapsing of time (including most of the ones listed above). Notably, I still have the following symptoms: pain (at tumour) from time to time (different pain sensations, sometimes an aching, sometimes like needle pricks, etc); excessive thirst, mood swings, headaches from time to time, lack of energy, irregular cycle, nausea from time to time, indigestion/burping, low libido, inexplicable chest pain, from time to time. All of these symptoms have generally been reducing with time. When I was released from hospital 3 weeks after the rupture took place, all I could do was sleep. I had more pain then but was able to stop taking pain killers after about 3 weeks. The most difficult part was the emotional / mental side of going through this ordeal.
Online campaign to raise awareness about hepatic adenomas (singular tumor / tumour on liver) and hepatic adenomatosis (multiple tumours / tumors on liver)
Hepatic adenoma "...most commonly occurs in people with elevated systemic levels of estrogen, classically in women taking estrogen-containing oral contraceptive medication." ... "The majority of hepatic adenomas arise in women aged 20–40, most of whom use oral contraceptives. Other medications which also alter circulating hormone levels, such as anabolic or androgenic steroids, barbiturates, clomifene, have also been implicated as risk factors." Source: Wikipedia
Hepatic adenomatosis "...is the presence of numerous, more than 10 and up to 50, hepatic adenomas. It is a rare disorder, best characterized with MRI." ..."Patients with hepatic adenomatosis do not necessarily have the classic risk factors associated with the development of hepatic adenomas, such as steroid or oral contraceptive use, or the presence of a glycogen storage disease." Source: Radiopaedia website
Hepatic Adenoma / Adenomatosis Survey
If you have been diagnosed with either an hepatic adenoma or hepatic adenomatosis, please consider completing my survey which I have developed in order to gather data regarding these conditions. You are welcome to stay anonymous by providing an alias on the form instead of using your real name, if you choose. Email me at ninette at mwebbiz dot co dot za to request a survey form. Read my post "Living with an Hepatic Adenoma" for the reasons why I am doing this survey and for what I intend to do with the information.
Featured Post
Living with an Hepatic Adenoma
Out of the blue, a sharp pain radiates through my chest from the core of my upper abdomen in the region of my liver, with it, more inte...
Disclaimer
Important Notice/Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, I am a patient and this is merrily a blog offering my opinion and some useful information and links I have compiled from other unverified sources. Only consult your doctor for medical advice. Although I have done my best to accurately portray facts in this blog, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information obtained from other websites and sources and also suggest you visit the websites directly, at your own risk, to obtain information that may have later been updated since I obtained the information. I cannot guarantee the authenticity, accuracy or safety of links to other websites today although at the time of posting the links were safe. This blog is run on a voluntary basis and may not be updated regularly.
Q&A & Definitions
What is an 'Adenoma'?
"An adenoma is a benign tumor (-oma) of glandular origin. Adenomas can grow from many organs including the colon, adrenal glands, pituitary gland, thyroid, etc. Although these growths are benign, over time they may progress to become malignant, at which point they are called adenocarcinomas. Even while benign, they have the potential to cause serious health complications by compressing other structures (mass effect) and by producing large amounts of hormones in an unregulated, non-feedback-dependent manner (paraneoplastic syndrome)." Source: Wikipedia
What is a 'Hepatic Adenoma'? ["HA's"]
"Hepatocellular adenoma, also hepatic adenoma, or rarely hepadenoma, is an uncommon benign liver tumor which is associated with the use of hormonal contraception with a high estrogen content.[1] Patients taking higher potency hormones, patients of advanced age, or patients with prolonged duration of use have a significantly increased risk of developing hepatocellular adenomas." Source: Wikipedia; "a benign tumor of the liver, usually occurring in women during the reproductive years in association with lengthy oral contraceptive use. The tumor is usually solitary, subcapsular, and large, composed of cords of hepatocytes with portal triads. SYN: hepatocellular adenoma." Source: Right Diagnosis's website
Two types of Hepatic Adenomas
"...tumors of bile duct origin and tumors of liver cell origin. Hepatic adenomas of bile duct origin are usually smaller than 1 cm and are not of clinical interest; typically, they are found incidentally on postmortem examinations. Hepatic adenomas of liver origin are larger—on average, they measure 8-15 cm—and are often clinically significant." Source: Emedicine
What is a 'ruptured Hepatic Adenoma'?
"Hepatic adenomas may rupture and bleed [hemorrhage](internal bleeding), causing pain in the area where the liver is situated (upper abdomen on right hand side of torso) and for this area to be distended [Swollen/raised due to pressure from inside] ). The primary reason for advocating surgical resection of a hepatic adenoma is this risk of rupture/hemorrhage. The risk of hemorrhage increases with increasing tumor size (>10.0 cm) and hormone use." Source (adapted by me): EMedicine.; "The most extensive complication of hepatic adenoma is intratumoral or intraperitoneal hemorrhage, which occurs in 50 to 60 per cent of patients." [my bolding] Source: US National Library of Medicine
What is 'resection'?
"Resection, in surgery, refers to removal of an organ or lesion by cutting it away from the body or the remainder of the tissue. A doctor may say that a tumor can be resected, or is resectable, when it can be completely removed by surgery without leaving any of the tumor tissue, or without causing death to the patient by removing or damaging an essential structure." Source: Wikipedia; "Elective resection of hepatic adenoma has a mortality rate of less than 1 per cent, while the mortality rate with free rupture is 5 to 10 per cent. Because of the relative safety of elective versus emergency resection and the potential for malignant change, the treatment of choice for hepatic adenoma is surgical resection." Source: US National Library of Medicine
What risk is there of the hepatic adenoma becoming malignant (cancerous)?
"Malignant transformation is rare, but for this reason, surgical resection is advocated in most patients with presumed hepatic adenomas." Source: EMedicine; "Adenomas can progress to adenomatosis, which are inoperable, or malignant transformation..." [my insertion: to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)] . "...Focal nodular hyperplasia is marked by a stellate scar, sometimes accompanied by hemangioma, but is asymptomatic. It is not increased in oral contraceptive users, but occurs in older women. It can transform to fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma. The 2 benign lesions can be distinguished by radionuclide scanning and angiography. Only fine needle aspiration is advised for biopsy, because of the risk of hemorrhage with adenoma. Focal nodular hyperplasia takes up radionuclide, stains intensely on angiography, and is safe to biopsy percutaneously." Source: US National Library of Medicine. "Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels are helpful in differentiating hepatic adenoma from HCC. A high AFP level indicates the presence of HCC, although not all patients with HCC have elevated AFP levels.5 Several cases have been reported in which highly differentiated HCC was diagnosed within an adenoma, although preoperative AFP results were negative." Source: Emedicine
What is Adenomatosis?
"Hepatic adenomatosis is the presence of numerous, more than 10 and up to 50, hepatic adenomas. It is a rare disorder, best characterized with MRI." Source: Radiopaedia website
Incidence of Hepatic Adenomas
"Hepatic adenomas are strongly associated with use of oral contraceptives, anabolic androgens, and glycogen storage disease. They are less commonly associated with pregnancy and diabetes mellitus.The incidence of hepatic adenomas has increased in the last several decades, a trend that coincided with the introduction of oral contraceptives." Source: UptoDate; "Ninety percent of hepatic adenomas arise in women aged 20–40, most of whom use oral contraceptives." Source: Wikipedia; "The incidence of these conditions has been increasing since 1970. Hepatic adenoma primarily affects young women of childbearing age who have a long history of using oral contraceptives..." Source: US National Library of Medicine; "Race -No known racial predilection for hepatic adenomas exists. Sex - In a retrospective analysis of 437 patients with liver tumors, 44 patients had hepatic adenoma.12 Of these patients, Weimann et al reported a male-to-female ratio of 1:3.9 (9 men and 35 women). Age - In the study by Weimann et al, the mean patient age was 34 years (range, 15-64 y) in those affected by hepatic adenoma (44 patients)." Source: Emedicine
Size of Hepatic Adenomas
"Hepatic adenomas range in size from 1-30 cm, averaged 8-10 cm in diameter, contain vacuoles and glycogen, but no Kupfer cells or bile ducts."...."users of oral contraceptives who have hepatic adenoma develop are likely to have larger tumors and higher rates of bleeding and rupture than nonusers who have hepatic adenoma develop." Source: US National Library of Medicine. " Hepatic adenomas of bile duct origin are usually smaller than 1 cm and are not of clinical interest; typically, they are found incidentally on postmortem examinations. Hepatic adenomas of liver origin are larger—on average, they measure 8-15 cm—and are often clinically significant." Source: Emedicine
Can a Hepatic Adenoma get smaller or disappear without surgery/resection?
[My note: From my owner experience, it can get smaller!]
"Although hepatic adenomas may regress after discontinuation of oral contraceptive use, this is not a consistent finding." Source: US National Library of Medicine
"The lesions can occasionally regress after cessation of oral contraceptives; however, less commonly, enlargement has been observed after cessation." Source: Emedicine
Can I die from it?
An hepatic adenoma itself is not necessarily life threatening, but if it ruptures, it can be life threatening. Rupture is a significant risk from what I have read ('50 - 60% of patients'). For the Hepatic Adenoma to become malignant can also be life threatening, however, the risk of it becoming malignant, according to what I have read, is very low. [My note] "Rarely, hepatic adenomas may undergo malignant transformation to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels are helpful in differentiating hepatic adenoma from HCC. A high AFP level indicates the presence of HCC, although not all patients with HCC have elevated AFP levels.5 Several cases have been reported in which highly differentiated HCC was diagnosed within an adenoma, although preoperative AFP results were negative." Source: Emedicine
Frequency
"The incidence among long-term users of oral contraceptives is approximately 4 cases per 100,000.7 In women who do not use oral contraceptives or have used them for less than 2 years, the incidence is 1 case per million." Source: Emedicine
Focal nodular hyperplasia and hepatic adenomas
Focal nodular hyperplasia is another type of benign liver tumour that is sometimes confused with hepatic adenomas. "Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) and hepatic adenomas are rarely seen in childhood. Both of these benign lesions have an association with a high estrogen environment and frequently occur in adolescent girls. Hepatic adenomas are associated with oral contraceptive use.
Signs and symptoms may be absent or are nonspecific and include abdominal pain and mass symptoms.
A characteristic central scar on CT scan is pathognomonic [definition of pathognomonic: 'characteristic for a particular disease'.] for FNH. Unenhanced CT scans reveal a hypodense well-defined lesion. A 3-phase CT scan is the optimal study to make the diagnosis of FNH, including an arterial phase, portal venous phase, and delayed images. During the arterial phase, an FNH lesion appears as an early contrast-enhanced homogenous lesion that becomes isodense with the normal liver parenchyma on delayed images. A less-enhanced central scar can be seen in less than 50% of lesions." "Differentiating FNH from adenomas may require a technetium sulphur colloid scan, which reveals uniform uptake by FNH lesions." "FNH lesions have no malignant potential and are often asymptomatic. Many surgeons advocate elective resection to prevent spontaneous rupture and hemorrhage; however, other surgeons follow these lesions with serial ultrasonography monitoring. If the lesions are symptomatic or rapidly enlarging, complete surgical resection, embolization, or hepatic artery ligation may be used for treatment.
Hepatic adenomas are treated with complete surgical excision because these lesions have a small risk for rupture, hemorrhage, or malignant transformation to hepatocellular carcinoma." Source: Emedicine
[From what I have read, FNH is different from HA in that FNHs don't appear to have a link to use of contraceptives, HAs tend to be/get larger, HAs more chance of malignant transformation, FNH have a central distinguishing scar, FNH more common in older people, where HAs more common in women of childbearing age. Anybody, please correct me if I am wrong.]
What are the symptoms of having a Hepatic Adenoma?
From what I have read, they say that mostly, there are no [recognisable] symptoms and that usually HAs are discovered 'accidentally' while the patient is undergoing other medical evaluations/scans. [read my blog post 'Symptoms' for my own experience regarding the symptoms before and after the rupture of the HA].
How can I get tested to see if I have an Hepatic Adenoma?
You will need to have a CT scan or MRI done, however, if the HA is large enough, your GP (doctor) might be able to feel it by gently pressing on your abdomen at the liver. [The HA in my body is now 8cm x 8cm and if I lie down on my back I can still see a slightly raised area, but if I press gently on it, I can definitely feel it. It feels like a hard mass/ball.] For a definite diagnosis, you will need to have a CT scan or an MRI done. From what I have read, it is NOT recommended to perform a biopsy due to the risk of rupture.
What are the symptoms of the Hepatic Adenoma rupturing?
If the HA ruptures/starts bleeding, you will know that something is wrong. In my case, I started off with what felt like a stomach ache/pain. My stomach then started to feel more and more bloated and the pain intesified in my abdomen (I think it was in the space of an hour as my 'stomache ache' started when I was in a meeting). Your abdomen/stomach region will become more and more raised with the lapsing of time as the HA bleeds internally. The pain will also continue to intensify. You need to get to a hospital quickly as this is an emergency situation.
What should the doctors do in the case of a ruptured adenoma?
I cannot answer this as I am not a doctor but I can tell you what happened in my case. I was fortunate in the doctor at which hospital I was admitted, after diagnosing me, said that I should be transferred to another hospital which was well known for their liver specialist surgeons. The surgeons decided not to resect at that time (refer above definition of resection) because it would be too life threatening due to the extent of the internal bleeding. They decided to perform an embolisation which resulted in the internal bleeding coming to a stop. After the successful embolisation, because the HA was so large and so much bleeding had taken place internally, they decided to wait for me to stabilise and for the tumour to become smaller as the (old) blood dissolved back into my system before deciding when and if they should operate.
What is embolization/embolisation [in this context]?
"The procedure is a minimally invasive alternative to surgery. The purpose of embolization is to prevent blood flow to an area of the body, which effectively can shrink a tumour or block an aneurysm.
I can only provide you with my opinion. I would definitely get a scan if I was on the pill for 10 years or longer. If you like to be super safe and you have the money/resources to do so, I would get a scan if I have been on the pill for 5 years or more. Also, when you go for your annual check up with your doctor, it can't harm for you to ask him/her to examine your abdomen in the region of your liver for any exterior signs of a possible large HA (this shouldn't cost you anything extra).
Now that I know about this, should I discontinue use of contraceptive pills?
This is entirely up to you. Not all women using contraceptive pills get HAs. The risk is yours to take, if you feel it is a risk worth taking.
"An adenoma is a benign tumor (-oma) of glandular origin. Adenomas can grow from many organs including the colon, adrenal glands, pituitary gland, thyroid, etc. Although these growths are benign, over time they may progress to become malignant, at which point they are called adenocarcinomas. Even while benign, they have the potential to cause serious health complications by compressing other structures (mass effect) and by producing large amounts of hormones in an unregulated, non-feedback-dependent manner (paraneoplastic syndrome)." Source: Wikipedia
What is a 'Hepatic Adenoma'? ["HA's"]
"Hepatocellular adenoma, also hepatic adenoma, or rarely hepadenoma, is an uncommon benign liver tumor which is associated with the use of hormonal contraception with a high estrogen content.[1] Patients taking higher potency hormones, patients of advanced age, or patients with prolonged duration of use have a significantly increased risk of developing hepatocellular adenomas." Source: Wikipedia; "a benign tumor of the liver, usually occurring in women during the reproductive years in association with lengthy oral contraceptive use. The tumor is usually solitary, subcapsular, and large, composed of cords of hepatocytes with portal triads. SYN: hepatocellular adenoma." Source: Right Diagnosis's website
Two types of Hepatic Adenomas
"...tumors of bile duct origin and tumors of liver cell origin. Hepatic adenomas of bile duct origin are usually smaller than 1 cm and are not of clinical interest; typically, they are found incidentally on postmortem examinations. Hepatic adenomas of liver origin are larger—on average, they measure 8-15 cm—and are often clinically significant." Source: Emedicine
What is a 'ruptured Hepatic Adenoma'?
"Hepatic adenomas may rupture and bleed [hemorrhage](internal bleeding), causing pain in the area where the liver is situated (upper abdomen on right hand side of torso) and for this area to be distended [Swollen/raised due to pressure from inside] ). The primary reason for advocating surgical resection of a hepatic adenoma is this risk of rupture/hemorrhage. The risk of hemorrhage increases with increasing tumor size (>10.0 cm) and hormone use." Source (adapted by me): EMedicine.; "The most extensive complication of hepatic adenoma is intratumoral or intraperitoneal hemorrhage, which occurs in 50 to 60 per cent of patients." [my bolding] Source: US National Library of Medicine
What is 'resection'?
"Resection, in surgery, refers to removal of an organ or lesion by cutting it away from the body or the remainder of the tissue. A doctor may say that a tumor can be resected, or is resectable, when it can be completely removed by surgery without leaving any of the tumor tissue, or without causing death to the patient by removing or damaging an essential structure." Source: Wikipedia; "Elective resection of hepatic adenoma has a mortality rate of less than 1 per cent, while the mortality rate with free rupture is 5 to 10 per cent. Because of the relative safety of elective versus emergency resection and the potential for malignant change, the treatment of choice for hepatic adenoma is surgical resection." Source: US National Library of Medicine
What risk is there of the hepatic adenoma becoming malignant (cancerous)?
"Malignant transformation is rare, but for this reason, surgical resection is advocated in most patients with presumed hepatic adenomas." Source: EMedicine; "Adenomas can progress to adenomatosis, which are inoperable, or malignant transformation..." [my insertion: to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)] . "...Focal nodular hyperplasia is marked by a stellate scar, sometimes accompanied by hemangioma, but is asymptomatic. It is not increased in oral contraceptive users, but occurs in older women. It can transform to fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma. The 2 benign lesions can be distinguished by radionuclide scanning and angiography. Only fine needle aspiration is advised for biopsy, because of the risk of hemorrhage with adenoma. Focal nodular hyperplasia takes up radionuclide, stains intensely on angiography, and is safe to biopsy percutaneously." Source: US National Library of Medicine. "Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels are helpful in differentiating hepatic adenoma from HCC. A high AFP level indicates the presence of HCC, although not all patients with HCC have elevated AFP levels.5 Several cases have been reported in which highly differentiated HCC was diagnosed within an adenoma, although preoperative AFP results were negative." Source: Emedicine
What is Adenomatosis?
"Hepatic adenomatosis is the presence of numerous, more than 10 and up to 50, hepatic adenomas. It is a rare disorder, best characterized with MRI." Source: Radiopaedia website
Incidence of Hepatic Adenomas
"Hepatic adenomas are strongly associated with use of oral contraceptives, anabolic androgens, and glycogen storage disease. They are less commonly associated with pregnancy and diabetes mellitus.The incidence of hepatic adenomas has increased in the last several decades, a trend that coincided with the introduction of oral contraceptives." Source: UptoDate; "Ninety percent of hepatic adenomas arise in women aged 20–40, most of whom use oral contraceptives." Source: Wikipedia; "The incidence of these conditions has been increasing since 1970. Hepatic adenoma primarily affects young women of childbearing age who have a long history of using oral contraceptives..." Source: US National Library of Medicine; "Race -No known racial predilection for hepatic adenomas exists. Sex - In a retrospective analysis of 437 patients with liver tumors, 44 patients had hepatic adenoma.12 Of these patients, Weimann et al reported a male-to-female ratio of 1:3.9 (9 men and 35 women). Age - In the study by Weimann et al, the mean patient age was 34 years (range, 15-64 y) in those affected by hepatic adenoma (44 patients)." Source: Emedicine
Size of Hepatic Adenomas
"Hepatic adenomas range in size from 1-30 cm, averaged 8-10 cm in diameter, contain vacuoles and glycogen, but no Kupfer cells or bile ducts."...."users of oral contraceptives who have hepatic adenoma develop are likely to have larger tumors and higher rates of bleeding and rupture than nonusers who have hepatic adenoma develop." Source: US National Library of Medicine. " Hepatic adenomas of bile duct origin are usually smaller than 1 cm and are not of clinical interest; typically, they are found incidentally on postmortem examinations. Hepatic adenomas of liver origin are larger—on average, they measure 8-15 cm—and are often clinically significant." Source: Emedicine
Can a Hepatic Adenoma get smaller or disappear without surgery/resection?
[My note: From my owner experience, it can get smaller!]
"Although hepatic adenomas may regress after discontinuation of oral contraceptive use, this is not a consistent finding." Source: US National Library of Medicine
"The lesions can occasionally regress after cessation of oral contraceptives; however, less commonly, enlargement has been observed after cessation." Source: Emedicine
Can I die from it?
An hepatic adenoma itself is not necessarily life threatening, but if it ruptures, it can be life threatening. Rupture is a significant risk from what I have read ('50 - 60% of patients'). For the Hepatic Adenoma to become malignant can also be life threatening, however, the risk of it becoming malignant, according to what I have read, is very low. [My note] "Rarely, hepatic adenomas may undergo malignant transformation to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels are helpful in differentiating hepatic adenoma from HCC. A high AFP level indicates the presence of HCC, although not all patients with HCC have elevated AFP levels.5 Several cases have been reported in which highly differentiated HCC was diagnosed within an adenoma, although preoperative AFP results were negative." Source: Emedicine
Frequency
"The incidence among long-term users of oral contraceptives is approximately 4 cases per 100,000.7 In women who do not use oral contraceptives or have used them for less than 2 years, the incidence is 1 case per million." Source: Emedicine
Focal nodular hyperplasia and hepatic adenomas
Focal nodular hyperplasia is another type of benign liver tumour that is sometimes confused with hepatic adenomas. "Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) and hepatic adenomas are rarely seen in childhood. Both of these benign lesions have an association with a high estrogen environment and frequently occur in adolescent girls. Hepatic adenomas are associated with oral contraceptive use.
Signs and symptoms may be absent or are nonspecific and include abdominal pain and mass symptoms.
A characteristic central scar on CT scan is pathognomonic [definition of pathognomonic: 'characteristic for a particular disease'.] for FNH. Unenhanced CT scans reveal a hypodense well-defined lesion. A 3-phase CT scan is the optimal study to make the diagnosis of FNH, including an arterial phase, portal venous phase, and delayed images. During the arterial phase, an FNH lesion appears as an early contrast-enhanced homogenous lesion that becomes isodense with the normal liver parenchyma on delayed images. A less-enhanced central scar can be seen in less than 50% of lesions." "Differentiating FNH from adenomas may require a technetium sulphur colloid scan, which reveals uniform uptake by FNH lesions." "FNH lesions have no malignant potential and are often asymptomatic. Many surgeons advocate elective resection to prevent spontaneous rupture and hemorrhage; however, other surgeons follow these lesions with serial ultrasonography monitoring. If the lesions are symptomatic or rapidly enlarging, complete surgical resection, embolization, or hepatic artery ligation may be used for treatment.
Hepatic adenomas are treated with complete surgical excision because these lesions have a small risk for rupture, hemorrhage, or malignant transformation to hepatocellular carcinoma." Source: Emedicine
[From what I have read, FNH is different from HA in that FNHs don't appear to have a link to use of contraceptives, HAs tend to be/get larger, HAs more chance of malignant transformation, FNH have a central distinguishing scar, FNH more common in older people, where HAs more common in women of childbearing age. Anybody, please correct me if I am wrong.]
What are the symptoms of having a Hepatic Adenoma?
From what I have read, they say that mostly, there are no [recognisable] symptoms and that usually HAs are discovered 'accidentally' while the patient is undergoing other medical evaluations/scans. [read my blog post 'Symptoms' for my own experience regarding the symptoms before and after the rupture of the HA].
How can I get tested to see if I have an Hepatic Adenoma?
You will need to have a CT scan or MRI done, however, if the HA is large enough, your GP (doctor) might be able to feel it by gently pressing on your abdomen at the liver. [The HA in my body is now 8cm x 8cm and if I lie down on my back I can still see a slightly raised area, but if I press gently on it, I can definitely feel it. It feels like a hard mass/ball.] For a definite diagnosis, you will need to have a CT scan or an MRI done. From what I have read, it is NOT recommended to perform a biopsy due to the risk of rupture.
What are the symptoms of the Hepatic Adenoma rupturing?
If the HA ruptures/starts bleeding, you will know that something is wrong. In my case, I started off with what felt like a stomach ache/pain. My stomach then started to feel more and more bloated and the pain intesified in my abdomen (I think it was in the space of an hour as my 'stomache ache' started when I was in a meeting). Your abdomen/stomach region will become more and more raised with the lapsing of time as the HA bleeds internally. The pain will also continue to intensify. You need to get to a hospital quickly as this is an emergency situation.
What should the doctors do in the case of a ruptured adenoma?
I cannot answer this as I am not a doctor but I can tell you what happened in my case. I was fortunate in the doctor at which hospital I was admitted, after diagnosing me, said that I should be transferred to another hospital which was well known for their liver specialist surgeons. The surgeons decided not to resect at that time (refer above definition of resection) because it would be too life threatening due to the extent of the internal bleeding. They decided to perform an embolisation which resulted in the internal bleeding coming to a stop. After the successful embolisation, because the HA was so large and so much bleeding had taken place internally, they decided to wait for me to stabilise and for the tumour to become smaller as the (old) blood dissolved back into my system before deciding when and if they should operate.
What is embolization/embolisation [in this context]?
"The procedure is a minimally invasive alternative to surgery. The purpose of embolization is to prevent blood flow to an area of the body, which effectively can shrink a tumour or block an aneurysm.
The procedure is carried out as an endovascular procedure by a consultant radiologist in an interventional suite. It is common for most patients to have the treatment carried out with little or no sedation, although this depends largely on the organ to be embolized. Patients who undergo cerebral embolization or portal vein embolization are usually given a general anesthetic.
Access to the organ in question is acquired by means of a guidewire and catheter(s). Depending on the organ this can be very difficult and time consuming. The position of the correct artery or vein supplying the pathology in question is located by digital subtraction angiography (DSA). These images are then used as a map for the radiologist to gain access to the correct vessel by selecting an appropriate catheter and or wire, depending on the 'shape' of the surrounding anatomy.
Once in place, the treatment can begin. The artificial embolus used is usually one of the following:
- Coils: Guglielmi Detachable Coil or Hydrocoil
- Particles
- Foam
- Plug
Once the artificial emboli have been successfully introduced, another set of DSA images are taken to confirm a successful deployment." Source: Extracted from Wikipedia
I can only provide you with my opinion. I would definitely get a scan if I was on the pill for 10 years or longer. If you like to be super safe and you have the money/resources to do so, I would get a scan if I have been on the pill for 5 years or more. Also, when you go for your annual check up with your doctor, it can't harm for you to ask him/her to examine your abdomen in the region of your liver for any exterior signs of a possible large HA (this shouldn't cost you anything extra).
Now that I know about this, should I discontinue use of contraceptive pills?
This is entirely up to you. Not all women using contraceptive pills get HAs. The risk is yours to take, if you feel it is a risk worth taking.
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Hi, thank you for this blog. I currently have an adenoma and I came across your site b/c I was trying to see if others have pain with theirs. A few years ago I had this odd obdominal pain and I had it checked out, but they didn't find anything. Recently I was having a ct scan on my lung and they found this on my liver. I had been living with this pain in my abdomen for years thinking it was nothing due to the prior scan saying so, that perhaps my clothes were too tight. I do make sure to wear loose clothes but at times it aches so bad and in general I can not lay on that side or even touch it. Mine is fairly small but right on the surface which I think is the issue.
ReplyDeleteHow big is your tumour and what has your surgeon recommended to do about it? I must say my pain is not that bad (i.e. I can easily get thru the day with it) and it doesn't happen all the time. I find I have it when I am stressed or in the middle of summer (heat). Regarding tight clothing, I highly recommend that you do not wear tight clothing. It is strange, no doctor told me this.. it is just something I knew I had to do... I even stopped wearing bras as much as possible, only loose ones. Depending on your answer to my question above, I would like to chat to you some more.
Delete...continued: Mine has grown 1cm in the last 3 months, have been off the pill over a year so I am scheduled for a biopsy.
ReplyDeleteHi there...sorry to hear it has grown. Is your doctor who recommended the biopsy a specialist? When is your biopsy scheduled for? I really don't mean to scare you, but please ask your doctor about if a biopsy is safe (i.e. no possibility of it bringing on a rupture)? If you read the rest of my blog you will find some research I did in which doctors warn about this. Because the prevelance of hepatic adenomas are only now increasing, a lot of doctors don't know how to deal with it. Anyways, please let us know how it goes. My surgeon was comfortable with not having to do a biopsy because he already knew from the ct scans and MRIs that it definitely is a hepatic adenoma (benign). They can then evaluate whether your tumours are safe to resect. Mine hasn't been resected/removed yet because it is located in a 'tricky' spot and my surgeon wants to first see if it can shrink more on its own (however, note that I have already had a rupture, so that differs from your situation where you are trying to avoid one). Let me know if you have any more questions or if I can help and please hang in there... all is going to work out fine!
Deleteread up again... could be that "fine needle" biopsy might be safe...
DeleteI had a needle biopsy, and did not bleed after. You will be sore but I found laying on a pillow on that side helped the most. Felt better after about 3 days
DeleteI've been diagnosed with an hepatic adenoma as well. Mine was found through all the tests I was having done because I was having gall bladder attacks about 2 to 3 months after having my daughter. I had my gall bladder removed but my doctor said he was pretty sure if I didn't get anymore depo shots the tumor would go down in size (at that time it was 6 cm). Since then, I was laid off my job and I have no insurance so I wasn't able to go get my ultrasound done in November to check on the tumor. BUT, now I'm having abdominal pain and I thought it was just because of the food or maybe I've gained weight. But I'm also feeling naseous anytime I eat. I'm not sure what to do. I should have gotten it taken out back when I had insurance but the doctor didn't want to because he said the surgery was very complicated since my tumor is larger in size.
ReplyDeleteHi AB, sorry only replying now. How are you? Have you managed to somehow get a scan done? I also have a problem with medical insurance because mine only covers hospitalisation and not scans. I therefore have resorted to asking my doctor to refer me to the public hospital which means I pay 1/3 of the normal cost of a scan. I don't know if you also have public/state hospitals in the USA. It is important for you to have it checked out as you could be at risk of rupture. Please let me know how you are doing. If any of you want to email me on my 'daily' email address it is ninette at mwebbiz dot co dot za. I am pretty busy so unfortunately don't get to check this blog too often.
DeleteI just had an adenoma that ruptured while on vacation in cabo. I actually went to the emergency room the day before I left for abdominal pain. they did a CT Scan and I was told I had a small lesion, dont worry, have it looked at when you get back. it was extremely painful and I barely had a pulse on the way to the hospital. my liver specialist told me it is now gone. if you have a 3 cm lesion or more, get it looked at before it bursts. Teresa
DeleteWhat did the rupture feel like? I have a 3cm and nine smaller ones. Am about to fly.
DeleteHi Ninette,
ReplyDeleteThanks for starting this blog spot. I am a 43 year old female who has had a chronic cough, pain in right side and some of the same stomach and fatigue issues you describe above. I have just been diagnosised via CT Scan and MRI with what is thought to be hepatic adenoma (about 4 cm)and related cysts on my liver (also greather than 3 cm). I have been on the BCP for over 20 years due to my tendency to develop endometriosis and fibroids. Basically my OB-GYN have been using the BCP as hormone therapy for me. In any case, I am trying to get the attention of some liver specialists at a large city hospital nearby. They seem to have appointments months away (July and it is March). My concern is that I am in a lot pain on my right side, I am totally out of breath and fatigued after a slow 1 mile walk and my cough is getting worse. I have been downplaying these symptoms to everyone and myself out of fear, but now that I have a diagnosis I am worried because my symptoms have worsened a lot over the last 2 months or so. Any thoughts on how to get the liver center's attention more quickly? Thanks for setting up this blog and sharing your experience, it has helped me immensely.
I have the same problem... my scans are booked through the public/state hospital which means i wait months for a scan. Book an appointment immediately even if it is for several months from now. Time does fly so you will have the scan before you know it. For now, just try to eat healthy and take care of yourself. Your only real risk is rupture. See my blog for symptoms, but you will know when it happens that it is necessary to go to hospital immediately. I know this sounds scary, but don't worry, I survived and so will you! :)
DeleteHi,
DeleteDid you have your scan done? I too have endometriosis. That is the reason I was on pills. But pills caused another serious problem with hepatic adenomas. Please reply back.
Hello. Definitely hoping to learn more and share what I have learned over the last few weeks........been on BCP for 15 years to regulate menstrual cycle. Gallbladder ultrasound was normal, but showed enlarged liver. Bloodwork showed elevated alkanine phosphatase level. MRI showed golf ball sized mass. Stopped taking all meds(omeprazole for a form of acid reflux, multi vitamin, and BCP) at this point. Liver biopsy showed softball size mass. Trip to hepatology specialist reveals the need surgery asap due to size and likelihood of rupture. I've read that they can come back as malignant. Is there anything that can make this thing shrink or go away? Are there any foods that help? My pain is very sporadic and short lived. How did you know it ruptured? I probably have 1 million more questions. I really appreciate any and all info. And you all are definitely in my prayers. Thank you again.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous May 11 here again....some of my questions if not all were answered in the Q-A section and under comments. However, I'm still open to any and everything related. How do I follow the blog?
ReplyDeleteThe chance of malignancy is very small. Your main risk is rupture. The bigger the tumour, the higher the risk. I have reduced my meat intake and when I came out of hospital I did a lot of 'juicing', i.e. making juice from fresh fruit and veggies. Green tea/mint tea also helps me. Drink lots of water and avoid alcohol. I also choose dairy/meat that is hormone free (i.e. free range usually is). I do not take any suppliments or any medication as I am very weary of putting any sort of pill in my mouth after my experience with the BCP. You will know when a rupture takes place. The pain will start mild, like a tummy ache, but then within an hour or so, it will be extreme. As with me, instinct just kicked in and I immediately knew I had to get to a hospital. The main problem is for me, I didn't know what was happening so hours were wasted with me in excrutiating pain while doctors were doing scans and tests to figure out what was wrong. You have a huge advantage because if you have a rupture you can immediately let the hospital staff know what you think it is and they then need to get a liver surgeon to embolise (stop the internal bleeding). I survived almost 24 hours with massive internal bleeding taking place before I had the embolisation surgery so you will have a big 'head-start' :) But really, this is not to say that you are heading for a rupture, just to give you the info for what you must look out for. If your doc says that surgery/resection is the best route for you, then that is great. It means that the tumour is situated on a place on the liver that will allow for easy resection (not sure of spelling).
DeleteThank you. My doc actually called yday and said I will meet with an interventional radiologist for embolism right before surgery. Having spent my entire night reading, I have learned that person is involved with preventing bleeding. I think overall, I'm just scared. The most major surgery I ever had was a breast reduction. Thanks again for the info.
DeleteHang in there Libraluv. Please keep me posted about how things go and let me know if you have any more questions.
ReplyDeleteThank you for encouragement. 9 more days before surgery....
ReplyDeleteHi, I am checking for updates to your surgery Anonymous and how Ninette is doing. Please let me know. Lots of prayers and appreciation.
ReplyDeleteG
Hello. My surgery is next Tuesday, June 12. Thanks for checking though.
DeleteLibraluv here-Surgery was Tuesday. Release is today. What should I expect? What should I not eat/drink? I'm freaking out now. Please share anything that helped or didn't help you.
ReplyDeletePlanning to purchase some milk thistle, yes or no? I've heard that it facilitates liver growth. Oh and my doc did say it has been regrowing quicker than expected.
And there were some smaller ones, which were burned off.
Definitely pray that all are well!
It was a right lobe resection due to hepatic adenoma.....
DeleteHi Libraluv, how is recovery going? Hope you are well.I don't know about milk thistle. I am prone to just stay away from anything other than just trying to eat healthy, drink lots of water and getting a little exercise if possible. I'm sure the body will now how to heal the liver as long as you are otherwise healthy and taking care of yourself. Don't stress about it because stress will not help. Get lots of rest and be easy on yourself! x
DeleteHi, I just found this blog today and I am glad I did. I have been having all kinds of digestive issues the for the last several months. I also have ulcerative colitis, and originally thought it was related to that. However, my colonoscopy showed no inflammation or lesions. Long story short, an ultrasound indicated I may have lesions on my liver. Eventually, an MRI confirmed that I have several small adenomas on my liver. The largest is about 2 cm. I only briefly talked to my Dr. about these. At the time I was more concerned with figuring out why I can't eat and what test she wanted to do next. Of course, once I hung up I had all kinds of questions and since have been searching for info on this.
ReplyDeleteMy Dr. did say that they would not biopsy right now because they are so small and the it would cause a lot of bleeding. Basically, she said we would re-check in 4-6 months. What she didn't mention was anything about me stopping my birth control pills. I've been on them for at least 20 years. I am guessing I should stop them? I have read that the risk of becoming malignant is small. However, the risk remains. Will surgeons operate if they are small? I really don't want to have to worry about this for the next several years if the risk can be eliminated now.
Any thoughts? Thanks!
Hi Melweg,
DeleteHow are you doing? Please update your status.
Hi Melweg, I can only speak from my experience. Everyone may have a different reaction to coming off the pill. i found it to be a struggle, kind of like drug withdrawal and it took a long time for my body to adjust, but I don't regret doing it. I have read different things of what impact it can have on existing tumours, I have read that the tumours can shrink, but I have also read the opposite effect can happen. In my case, I don't know how big the tumour was before I had the rupture because I didn't even know I had the tumour at that time. The rupture occurred I think about 2 years AFTER I stopped taking the pill and I was also taking other medication which might have had an impact on the tumour (meds for pituatary adenoma). I suggest doing as much research as possible on this issue. Please let me know what you learn. As for the issue of digestive problems, I find this interesting because I have also always had digestive problems. I want to learn more about this and the link with HAs. Please stay in touch.
ReplyDeleteHi.
ReplyDeleteI have just stumbled across this blog and feel heartened that it exists!
I have had 3yrs of reflux problems made worse by an endoscopy. I am on PPIs to try and supress the acid but still suffer.
6months ago a CT scan followed by 2 MRI scans have found benign lesions in my liver and spleen. The drs aren't concerned about the 5 that are small and are hemangiomas and 1 is a FDH?? The tumor causing concern is the adenoma in my right lobe 7 of my liver - measuring 3cms. The consultant has immediately said that resection is the way forward. I was surprised becasue of the relative smallness of it and that the 2 MRIs had shown no growth over 6months. However I am getting alot of discomfort around my right hand side of my ribs, and back ache. I have asked about the chance of embolizing it 1st but he said that he wouldn't recommend this as it's in the liver? Is that right? I have also seen treatment where they blast away the tumor - I forget its name. Can anyone give their thoughts on having the operation at this stage please? The sound of the op is very scary. Thanks.
Hi there, first off, have you had a sonar to check your gallbladder and other organs? Pain in right side can also be gallstones. Many woman have small adenomas with little incidence as long as they are monitored and not giving you grief in terms of symptoms. First make 100% sure the symptoms you are having is the tumour(s). About embolization, don't get confused with this term. It is a procedure to stop blood supply, for example in my case when the tumour ruptured I had internal bleeding and they had to embolize (cut off the blood supply) to stop the bleeding. Definitely go for a second opinion before you make final decision on resection although I have heard it is usually a successful operation when it is an option. My tumour is in a tricky spot, between the right and left lobes close to major aterties/veins and doc said it is too risky to resect in my case. Most important is to continue monitoring the HA. Are you taking any meds or are you still on the pill?
DeleteI have 3 Adenomas first investigated in 2005 finally diagnosed in 2007 and welcome this blog - mine are checked via MRI dye scans every 12 months, I have discomfort with them which I can only describe as trapped wind in the liver itself my stomach is constantly bloated where I look like Im in the first stages of a pregnancy when I definitely am not.
ReplyDeleteI also suffer nose bleeds often and variations of tiredness associated or not I do not know, surgery is not an option due to the location of the adenomas a surgeon has said this would not be recommended. I have been told to not do contact sports or become pregnant to avoid rupturing them..... Great to hear other peoples stories if I did have a daughter the pill would not be recommended as an option for her.
Hello. You definitely dont want your discomfort to be something major that can be avoided..associated tiredness, yes. Still recovering from right lobe removal in June (tumor due to extended bcp use). I am not taking anything with estrogen ever again nor do I recommend it to anyone. Definitely keep abreast of this issue. Also ask where the location is and keep having it monitored. Best of wishes to you.
DeleteThanks for sharing. I had blood in my nose too at times but this was before the rupture and stopped after. I am also suffering from serious digestive issues similar to yours, especially over the last couple of months. I am going to write a new post about this to start a new thread. How big is your biggest HA and where are they? My surgeon also said surgery not an option for me, too risky.
DeleteI'm Anonymous (20 /08/2012) Perth, Western Australia.
ReplyDeleteHi,
Mine are 9cm in segment 6 and a further two of 4cm in segment 8 - I had a biopsy to confirm the masses were HA's. the discomfort seems to be worse the week before I have my period don't know if this is due to hormones levels then?!,
Yes, what we are experiencing is so closely tied to our menses. The liver regulates hormones in the body. I will be elaborating more in a new post soon. All the best and let me know if your docs advises to resect to avoid rupture.
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteIn 2008, I was having testing done on my stomach for pain I was having that was leaving me immobilized. Thankfully, the ultrasound tech went to my liver and found my HA, 5.5 cm all the way around. I was immediately taken off birth control and sent to several different doctors, each one in a bigger city than the last. Mine was located right in the middle of the large 'V' vein thru the liver. My options were to 1. Have 2/3 of my liver removed to remove the HA 2. Have my tubes tied so I would never be able to fuel another HA 3. let it go and pray for the best or 4. a new cancer treatment at UNC Chapel Hill called Radio frequency ablation (with some other big words added in). I am from North Carolina and while UNC was a drive it was worth it. On May 9, 2009 my HA was less than 3cm (about the size of a golf ball) and I went in for same day surgery to have it taken off. Oddly, I was suppose to be getting married 8 days later but he couldn't handle this little problem and I didn't have time to worry about that when I was ready to get this thing off my dang liver. There was one complication in that one of the probes was not grounded right and I was burned from my liver out to my ribs. I have a nice scar on my side now but it reminds me how lucky I was to find my HA before it ruptured. Pain was intense mainly from the burn and because I was so small at the time (roughly 145lbs at 5'4) and they said they mainly did this on heavier people they said one of my ribs could have been bruised or fractured. Walking was a challenge for a few days and I had sharp pain when I would be stressed in the general area for over 8 months after (granted my best friend was killed 5 months after the surgery and I was devastated). I have been off all birth controls since 2008 with one brief try with a progesterone only that lasted 2 months.
It is very difficult to be in a relationship and try to explain to someone why I cannot be on birth control and why it is so risky for me to ever get pregnant. Has anyone had kids after being diagnosed or found a birth control that works for them? Does anyone have severe period cramps and how do you deal with them? Im having to take muscle relaxers and vicodin. When I went thru this I couldn't find support and it took a toll on me. I'm glad I found this web page today.
Dear Meredith, thanks so much for your post. A few things: 1. Yes, my periods are also more intense ever since I went off the pill and my symptoms seem to be in cycles/different times of the month. I will write a post about this. 2. I have never hear of the radio frequency ablation, thanks for sharing. My HA is also right in the middle and doc said too risky to remove due to being so close to the major veins. I will try to read up more on this rfa and might contact you again for more qs. 3. I am also still in child bearing age and my hubby and I don't have any children. We fear pregnancy as it may cause the tumour to grow and thankfully at this stage we are not ready for children. I do not find it very difficult to be off the pill and use alternative birth control methods. I am happy to deal with this as it is not a big deal to me in comparison to what I went through when I had the rupture and there is no way that I will ever go on the pill again. Hang in there!
DeleteCan you contact me at meredith.sigmon@my.lr.edu
ReplyDeleteHi again Meredith, please can you select to 'follow' my blog. this way it will be easier to keep in touch. I am extremely busy right now and will try and write to you personally as soon as I can. For now, you can also email me directly on ninette at mwebbiz dot co dot za
DeleteSo happy to have found your blog. I saw liver surgeon this past week and am awaiting a surgery date. Could you contact me?? cmamafishy@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteThanks, Cindy
Hi Cindy, I'm extremely busy and will try to contact you personally, but for now, can you please select to 'follow' my blog so that we can keep in touch that way also. Good luck and keep me posted. You can email me directly on ninette at mwebbiz dot co dot za. Take care
DeleteHow do I join this site? I had a liver resection in 2010 to remove a 18cm adenoma. Now fully recovered, e mail me if you have any questions as v aware there is little info out there on the matter. My e mail is king_chloe@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Chloe. Please select to 'follow' my blog and we can also keep in touch that way. I hope to start a proper forum soon. Will be in touch and thanks so much for sharing!
DeleteI am glad that I found this blog. I am diagnosed with HAs last year in March caused due to birth control pills. I used birth control pills for 6 years. I have two small kids 8 and 5 and I am 37 years old. I had a similar situation as Ninette. Mine was ruptured and had to go to emergency. They did all kinds of tests and finally recommended to go to UCLA to the liver specialist. At UCLA they confirmed that it is HA after biopsy. I have more than 20 HAs. All are less than 1cm and two large ones, one on the left lobe and one on the right lobe. The largest one is 3.5cm after rupture. And the second largest one is 3.2cm. Remaining is smaller than 1cm. I am off of pills after rupture. I am being monitored every 6 months for the size of the adenomas. Whatever symptoms Ninette specified, exactly same symptoms I had and have before and after rupture. I have my next scan on Dec 17th.
ReplyDeleteNinette – When was your adenomas diagnosed?
Hi Tan, Thanks for sharing your story. Was diagnosed a few days after the rupture while in ICU. That was about 10 Feb 2010, exactly 3 years ago. Hope your latest scan showed good results. x
DeleteHi, my name is Vanessa, I have a lesion on my liver that I'm having checked out. I had a CT Scan in 2009 and there was nothing on my liver. Then in 2012 I had another CT Scan and it showed a 2cm by 2cm lesion on the upper right lobe of my liver. I have read this blog a few times. I'm completely scared to death (bad turn of phase)of it being an adenoma. I have a Doctor's appt Jan 7th 2013 to confirm what it is. I know this may sound childish, but does anyone have some comforting words on this topic? Thank you again for the blog it has helped me to at least prepare for the idea of having an adenoma.
ReplyDeleteHi Vanessa,
DeleteYour adenoma is very small and single. You shouldn't be much worried about it. Doctors will just monitor it every 6 months. I have more than 20 adenomas, two larger ones. One is 2.7 X 2.9 and other is 3.5 X 2.6. I had my last appointment on Dec 17th and doctor asked me to come only after 1 year. He said adenomas will not cause any changes in life activities. We can lead normal life. Hope this will ease you a bit.
Hi Vanessa,
DeleteWhat happened with your Jan 7th appointment? What did doctor say?
Hi Vanessa, I agree with Tan. Please don't be alarmed. You are going to be just fine. Let us know how your appointment went.
DeleteHi, this blog is really amazing and provide me answers to all my questions. I got full knowledge online job portalis really informative and I will for sure refer my friends the same.
ReplyDeleteIt has been some time since I visited website with such high quality information aboutonline job portal.Thank you so much for providing such helpful information. This is really informative and I will for sure refer my friends the same. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi there! i wanted to share my story as well. I was 22 weeks pregnant when i went to the ER for pain in my RUQ. they origionally thought it was kidney or gallbladder problems, but after ultrasounds, they found a mass in my liver the size of an orange. they were unable to diagnose it at the time, but decided it was either a FNH or the HA. the rest of my pregnancy was PAINFUL! especially when my daughter kicked my liver! I had docs telling me that the pain i was feeling was just heartburn, but they didnt understand. it was terrifying to know that this tumor could rupture at any time, and that it was continuing to grow (up to the size of a grapefruit)
ReplyDeleteAfter i gave birth, they did an MRI and confirmed that it was the HA. and recommended surgery to resect before i get pregnant again
now my daughter is 1.5 years old, and i FINALLY got up the courage to have my surgery. I had them schedule it for march 21st. unfortunately, i had to cancel it because my employer decided to find the smallest reason to have me fired(the day after my FMLA was approved) so now i am without insurance, and no surgery in site for me.
my biggest concern(and maybe im just being paranoid) I have had a lot of burning at times, and a "stitch in the side" feeling off and on. I am concerned that something is going to happen, and i have no idea what i can do about it that doesn't involve sending my little family into huge financial problems!
Also, has anyone experience increased pain a week before your period starts?
DeleteHi Nikki, sorry only responding now. Hope you are doing okay. I'm sorry you were not able to go ahead with the resection surgery. Where you live, is it not possible to make enquiries at the public hospital? If your previous surgeon said that you are a good candidate for it, it might be the best option considering the size. For now, try not to worry too much.. there is one tip I believe might also help... don't wear tight fitting bras/clothing...I have a feeling that the tight bra I wore on the day I had the rupture was a contributing factor. The most important thing to remember is if you sense something is not right and you start getting severe pain, go to the ER immediately and don't let them waste time on unrelated tests. Tell them that you suspect it is a rupture then they will scan you to check. For now, try and see what you can do about the medical insurance. About your question regarding pain before your period, yes, I believe this can be related. My pain varies so much so you will need to be more specific about what exactly you are experiencing then I will be able to give you more feedback based on what I have experienced. Lots of love xx Ninette
DeleteAnother thing Nikki, when I had the rupture, the doctors did not know what was going on... I went to 3 hospitals in the span of 48 hours, all the while i was bleeding internally. I'm telling you this because if you were to have a rupture, you will have the major advantage of being able to tell the er people what you think is going on so that they can act quickly in order to help you. Hang in there and try and see if you can make an appointment with a liver specialist at your local public hospital, if this is an option since you don't have medical insurance.
DeleteThanks for your reply! You know when you eat, and then walk fast, and you get that pain in your side? It feels lie like that but in my liver, and sometimes It feels like its burning and sonatines a Stimmung Like a scrappes Knee Just before me periods, I also get a non stop ache that gets better and worse through the day. Also another though, I was on multiple rounds of fertility meds to get pregnant. Do you think that could be a factor in getting the tumor? Also what exactly did the rupture feel like? Were you askew to feel yourself bleeding internally?
Deletehi,i'm tea from indonesia. I had a severe pain in my stomach for 5 years, and this pain ussualy spread into my chest,shoulder and back. I had visited some doctors and they said i've got gastritis and reciped me gastritis medicines. But that medicines couldn't help my pain. last week, i decided to check ultrasound. the doctor found one mass <2cm in my right lobe liver. He recomended me to do some medical test such as liver fuction test and AFP. All the result were good but my doctor ask me to do re-check in singapore. Because it was afraid that the mass is early malignant. But i don't believe it is.If you don't mind, what is your opinion? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHello Tea. I think you should see a liver specialist to get a second opinion. I unfortunately don't have experience with this as I only found out about the HA after the rupture, not before. I also think that if your pain is more in your stomach, it might be worthwhile to have a camera put down your throat or the other side so that they can check that also. Is the pain your only symptom? My liver function tests are also normal, so this doesn't help in terms of tests to confirm HA. The doc might want to either do a CT scan and/or fine-needle biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. But remember, I am not a doctor so please first ask a liver specialist! Good luck and let me know how it goes. p.s. when the doc did the ultrasound, did he check your gallbladder?
Delete(tea)
ReplyDeleteThank you Mrs.Ninette.
Yes, the symptom is only the pain. The doctor checked my gallbladder and it was good. Oya, The doctor said that my liver wasn't in normal size, called hepatomegally and there is a mass. Well i think, i will go to specialist. Thank you so much. Gbu
Hi! I am in a dilemma right now. A hepatic cyst measuring 1.6cm was seen in a triphase ct scan. the result stated hepatocellular carcinoma. i went for another ct scan, 4 phase dynamic, in another hospital and the result states that primary consideration is hepatic adenoma but cannot totally rule out hepato carcinoma. just had an mri last night and still waiting for result.
ReplyDeletei just hopw that what i had is adenoma and not carcinoma. if it is the former, i will still have a chance to hope for longer life.
Hi there, I too received the same diagnosis from both my ultrasound and CT. My biopsy however said it is HA and not HCC.
DeleteThe only real accurate bearer of news is the biopsy. My family doctor thinks if the CT shows HA, there is the possibility it can be generating to HCC which is why its so difficult to determine HA versus HCC without a biopsy.
A radiologist friend told me (off the record) if a CT shows HA, just get the sucker out because of the possible outcomes for rupture and generation into HCC.
In summary, if you have a biopsy, that should be the final diagnosis. Good luck
hello
ReplyDeleteI'm in Canada. I'm 39 yr old female that was on the pill for about 20 years. Last year I started seeing a naturopath and advised me to get off the pill to which I did. Then the symptoms started: dull ache right upper quadrant (just under rib cage), back pain. No rhyme or reason to it.
Now for the the last three months the pain is everyday from dull to sharp and can last hours. I also get nausea every time I eat and have severe itching all over for no reason. I also have stretch bluish mark spots on my stomach (never had them before). However I've also gained weight over the last two years so not sure if the stretch mark looking spots are related.
Got an ultrasound, CT and biopsy: 1 HA (3.3cm), one simple cyst (6cm) both in liver and a benign tumor on my adrenal gland (large for the gland). I am waiting on whether surgery will happen or not.
Just wondering if an HA can get aggrevated or rupture often or multiple times? I can't believe something little like that would cause all these issues?
All I know is that I want whatever is causing my symptoms to get out asap as its affecting my quality of life.
thanks for listening.
Hi there....
DeleteI have 4 growths in my liver about 4.5cm and also a growth on my adrenal gland about 3.3cm
I've had a biopsy on my liver and it was thought that what I have is focal nodular hyperplasia but now recently they're saying they think it could be an adenoma so I am now awaiting an MRI with some special contrast to help determine which of these two things it actually is. I thought I was in the clear after the biopsy but another recent scan is making them question their original diagnosis so hopefully I will learn more next month. It's a very scary thought that it could rupture at any time. I feel like a ticking time bomb and sometimes the worry completely eats me up. I've just recently went off the pill as I know that adenomas can be estrogen fed so I'm hoping that if it is in fact and adenoma that it may shrink after stopping the birth control pill. So many unknowns....it is great that this thread exists to help each other by sharing our stories!
Thanks so much for posting as since December was I was initially diagnosed I have had scary thoughts about the process and what was involved. I get to see a surgeon on February 6th at which time hopefully we will determine next steps.. I must say, what is surprising is the fact that I have never used the pill so I am not sure how I developed HA. In July 2013, I noticed I was constantly feeling full, and this resulted in a 30 pund weight loss.. I am overweight. The next symptoms were severe nausea but I never threw up and finally I began getting night sweats to the point where my sister and I while on vacation had issues regulating the temperature. She actually advised me to go and see my doctor as I would toss off the sheets at night while she was freezing. There was even a day at work where I sweated so bad while wearing a silk top that my colleagues were worried if I was alright. Again thanks for the blog and I will share more as I uncover my prognosis.
ReplyDeleteHi, I've been reading over this post for a while now and debated posting. I'm 22 and I have a right sided 13 cm hepatic adenoma. They caught it when I was 18 and rushed in to hospital for an unrelated issue.
ReplyDeleteThey've done a right sided portal vein embolisation back in 2012, hoping that they could prompt the left side of live to grow so they can remove the right side and the tumor.
Because of the way my tumor is situated both of my arteries (I have 2, apparently that's not as odd as I thought when they told me.) Are both distorted around the tumor therefore removal is impossible. I have a blood disorder and recently have been diagnosed with endometriosis too therefore it's a pain in the ass to help me with my ob-gyn issues.
They're keeping an eye on me ans scanning me on a regular basis. I get pains umder my ribs often than my consultant tells me means that the tumor is damaging the nerve membrane around my liver. It hasn't ruptured but the size certainly makes it a risk, I try not to think about that though, it's far too scary.
Finding this blog has helped me so much, I've felt alone for a lot of this, no one elses to compare my symptoms and things with and then I stumbled across this. So thank you so much.
Sophie,
DeleteI have 9 tumors, 6 are only 4-5 cm large spread across my right and left lobes but the other 3 are at 11cm, 9cm and 8.5cm in both right and left lobes.
Unfortunately there is no course of treatment for me other than a liver transplant. I was diagnosed in April of 2015 and it's now December. I just got approved for the UNOS Registry but because I'm not cancerous I don't qualify for a donor. I have to earn points each month to get a donor, which will take me about a year to do.
I wanted to join in on the pain you mentioned. I thought I was going crazy for so long. I have pain in my right side, the starts down around my tummy and extends up to my shoulder blades. The doc tells me its because the tumors are spreading my ribs. They give me some drugs to help with the pain of my bones moving.. but let's get real, my ribs are being spread apart from the inside. YIKES!
There are times where I get stabbing pains so badly from my side or my back through my ribs that I cry out in pain. I haven't had a rupture yet, but they tell me it will happen any day. (On a sorta happy note I get extra points with the UNOS Registry if they rupture, yippee??? )
Please know you're not alone. I only wish there were someone to give me advise. Every time I feel a pain I'm terrified I could have ruptured and what to I do, how do I know... I guess fingers, toes and eyeballs crossed it won't happen.
Andrea,
DeleteI am in the same position. 24+ adenomas of all different sizes. Some over 10cm. Did you get your transplant? I am currently on a list with 22 points. My itching is so out of control. Please let me know how you are doing.
Hi, my name is jennifer I'm from oklahoma. I've been on nuva ring for 5 year now. Went to the emergency with the stomach virus and gastoitis got a ct scan to make sure nothing was wrong. Everything came back normal until the found a mass. It is about 5 cm. On the back side of my liver. They said it was HA. The crazy part is its on the outside of my liver. Got off birthcontrol as soon as I left the doctors office. Go back in 2 months to get another mri. I have absolutely no symptoms. I went to see a liver specialist. From the mri results in normal people terms it just a floppy HA just hanging there. So almost like a skin tag on your skin but on my liver. It's weird. They confirmed it was an HA. This website has helped a lot. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your story. Just two weeks ago I was diagnosed with a Hepatic adenoma. I went into the ER for abdominal pain and they discovered the 7.6cm mass on my liver. I have been on birth control for almost 17 years and I'm currently 32 years old. I enjoyed reading your blog and it made me feel less alone with this whole situation.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this. I was diagnosed with an hepatic adenoma today and it is nice to read something that isn't from a journal of medecine, but in a person's words.
ReplyDeleteI am now a very strong advocate for no birth control pills and I really feel like more young girls should know this.
Glad to find this blog! I have a 3.5 adenoma that has been watched for 7 mos. It has just grown a little, so I am going to have it removed; thankful it can be done laparoscopically, in a good location, etc. But still I am very scared to have it done. I am lucky to be near Cleveland clinic which has a fabulous liver tumor dept. I am starting to have some discomfort and hoping it will not rupture before surgery! I want to caution those who have had biopsy recommended - several drs. have said NO Way - too risky for hemorrhage AND can spread cancer cells if it might be cancerous, AND very possible the biopsy grabs tissue w/out cancer cells when they exist in other part of the tumor. So biopsy is not such a great idea. my first Dr. wanted to do one. 2nd and 3rd Drs. said NO. I think the most informed Drs. say don't biopsy. Now I wish I could hurry up the surgery and get it over with. Would like to hear from others who have had resection; particularly laparoscopic. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThis blog has helped me so much. I had an ultrasound for what my doc thought was a hernia (though I did not) a few weeks ago. The very experienced radiologist told me it was very, very likely to be a 4cm adenoma on my right lobe, but I would have to see a specialist for diagnosis. I'm pretty scared about the possibility of it being something worse, but I guess an adenoma isn't exactly a picnic! I'm convinced it has grown in that time which frightens me. The rest of my liver is clear, my gall bladder, pancreas etc look OK, and there is no enlargement. I was on BCP for years and years, and last summer had my second child, after which the problems started - burping constantly and a weird, very vague discomfort under my right rib that came and went. The burping, ironically, has been better since my US. I just want to know for sure what it is and the waiting is so difficult. I should add that I stopped taking BCP in 2010, took it again briefly in 2011, but nothing since then. The radiologist thinks it might be pregnancy related. I am also breastfeeding at the moment, but I have no idea if it is related. So many questions and I'm looking forward to getting some answers .
ReplyDeleteHi All - I am a 34 yo female with about 17 years of oral contraceptive use. I have been diagnosed with hepatic adenomatosis and am currently just being monitored on a yearly basis to ensure that none grow. I am not a candidate for resection as the tumors are throughout my entire liver. In any case, none of the adenomas are very large but I am wondering what the symptoms may be if a smaller one were to rupture. Any thoughts?
ReplyDeleteHow are you doing? I also have hepatic adenomatosis. 24+ tumors in all different sizes. Waiting on a transplant. Used birth control pills for 20+ years.
DeleteI was diagnosed with a hepactic adenoma about a year ago at the age of 26. The mass was first discovered while receiving a cardiac angiogram for a cardiac event that I had had several weeks earlier. The cardiac side of things was great, but the angiogram discovered a mass on my liver. A adenoma was diagnosed on the subquescent MRI.
ReplyDeletePrior to being diagnosed with the adenoma I had been on birth control pills in order to treat endometriosis for just a few months short of 10 years. I am now off the pill (and unfortunately my endo is probably flaring) and am seeing a doctor every six months or so to monitor the adenoma. So far there has been no change in the years time.
The hope is that the adenoma will go away with me not being on the pill anymore - although I hear that that happening is rare. The fall back if that doesn't work is to surgically resect if it grows or remains unchanged after 2 to 3 years.
I was diagnosed with hepatic adenomatosis one year ago (after being on oral contraceptives for 27 years to treat polycystic ovarian syndrome, diagnosed at age 14). I have had 3 MRIs total, and the last one showed signs of SLIGHT decrease in size but now I have a dull pain to strong pain on the back side of my liver near my ribs, with it being more sporadic about a month ago but now a constant discomfort (and at times strong twangs). I have a few tumors with a diameter of 3 cm, with at least one of them close to the membrane of the liver, and the rest are smaller. There is some redness in the area of the pain as well. Has anyone else experienced this pain? I've been trying to figure out the symptoms for rupturing and hemorrhaging and this pain doesn't sound like that. But not sure about the pain being associated with the malignant transformation angle. When I mentioned the pain (it was occasional at that time) to my liver specialist, he said I could have a fatty liver due to being overweight. Hmmm. Then someone above mentioned the nerves in the liver membrane being affected....and that sounds like a possibility. Anyway...anyone have this pain? Did you find anything out?
ReplyDeleteI have hepatic adenomatosis as well, 24+ tumors, some over 10cm. I'm on a transplant list. How are you doing? I was on the pill for 20+ years. Currently I do get pain from them from time to time. My biggest issue is itchy skin. It is really horrible. Please let me know how you are doing.
DeleteI was diagnosted with a 5-6 cm HA in 2006 after having severe abdominal and back pain (the doctors said that the pain was unrelated to the HA, but the pain went away once the tumor started to shrink so I disagree). I had been on the pill for about 5 to 6 years and immediately stopped. The doctors were concerned about the massive size and location (right next to my aorta) of the HA and wanted to operate immediately because of the risk of rupture. However, surgery was postponed due to the fact that, once off of the pill, the HA immediately started shrinking. It has now been reduced to about 1 cm where it has stayed since. I considered removal, however, due to the location, it would involve a resection of 60% of my liver and very traumatic surgery, so I opted not to have the surgery. Now, 8 years later, I am currently 32 weeks pregnant. Getting pregnant was a risk I willingly undertook-because of the dearth of information, the doctors could only express concern that it may start to grow during the first trimester but they feel there is overall little risk because of the size prior to pregnancy (my last CT scan one month before conception showed the 1 cm size). Because my HA is only visible on a CT scan with contrast, there is really no way to monitor it during pregnancy. I am having upper right back pain and am starting to get paranoid that my HA may be growing (although it is probably just pregnancy pains and I am not having any abdominal pain). The doctors said that I/the baby could tolerate 1 CT scan during pregnancy, but I really don't want to do it because of the implications for my little one. Has anyone had any experience with getting pregnant knowing that they have an HA? Any thoughts/information would be appreciated.
ReplyDeleteI live in United States. I have a history of malignant melanoma . I discovered my Adenomas in 2003 through a hysterectomy. I was on BCP about 15yrs. doctors said, there were 12 adenomas and the biggest at the time was 7cm. I had know symptoms back then. being naïve about it, never followed up after a few scans back then, I also was never told they could rupture or metastasize. I lead a very active life with exercise and diet, also participating in triathlons. About 2yrs ago I started having back pain, which became severe, then right flank pain, then RUQ pain, pain that I could not describe to doctors that have been CHRONIC. Then digestive issues came up with problems swallowing, heartburn. night sweats, itchy skin and my vision has even changed. As it turns out I now have at least 15 HA's and 2 that are 7cm and 1 that is 5cm. so they are very symptomatic. I also discovered a lesion on my spleen, lung and breast, some of the doctors here are not helpful and some dismiss pretty much all of my symptoms, saying im all over the place with symptoms. It has been very frustrating and discouraging to say the least. I am to the point that I cannot exercise anymore and can barely make it through the work day. my insurance will not let me go out of network to seek other opinions, so, I have been forced to put another insurance in place that is very expensive and am waiting for it to become active on april 1st. in the meantime, I still live with all symptoms and am afraid of rupture before I can get something done.
ReplyDeleteAny updates on how you are doing? Melissa
DeleteI had a liver resection 3 years ago. I still have a small number of adenomas, which have not changed in size since. I experience pain, which I have been told is just anxiety. I also experience periods of extreme fatigue and I am wondering if anyone else also experiences those symptoms?
ReplyDeleteI also have the symptoms you describe and they've chalked it up to other things. I feel like it's a guessing game. They say the pain is from reflux and I have a hiatAL hernia. I've also been diagnosed with fibromyalgia so they say that's the fatigue. I just know it makes getting through the day tough sometimes and I just try to remember there are people much worse off than I.
DeleteI have 5 liver adenomas. Largest is 4.5cm. Have constant feeling of fullness in my right side and rarely sharp pain there too. Had 3 MRI's in last year. Not grown, still benign. Surgery not recommended. Feel like a ticking time bomb. Have 3 young children How does everyone cope emotionally?
ReplyDeleteHi Tina, they are benign! You are not a ticking time bomb. If they grow beyond 5cm, that's when the doc will want them out. Relax!
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ReplyDeleteRemember, it's not a death sentence. Your state of mind plays a large role in your overall health. Be informed but don't dwell on what could go wrong. You've got 3 reasons to take the best care of yourself. Listen to your body and do what it's telling you. If it means resting instead of laundy...the laundry will still be there tomorrow. Good luck.
DeleteI have 7 hemangiomas which we're found accidentally. My repeat MRI was in June and they found two HAs. My GI suggested biopsy which resulted in the most terrifying experience of my life. Three days after the biopsy suddenly something was seriously wrong. My heart was racing, I was hotter than I've ever been in my life. I was hemorrhaging and luckily headed straight to the hospital. Within minutes I lost feeling and control of my extremities. I'm so paranoid now. Two GIs have said no to removing them. I hope I never have to go through that again. I wish they'd remove them but I have faith in my team that they are doing what's best. Next MRI is in December. Hopefully they'll be smaller then..
ReplyDeleteNew here and looking for some advice... I recently found out that I most likely have a 2.5cm HA as well as other smaller ones. There is also a 7 mm hemangioma. I do have some ruq/side/back pain that comes and goes but was told this was unrelated due to size. I asked about my options of surgery/ablation was also told that was not really an option right now because theywere small. I am 34 years old and before this all came about I was trying to get pregnant. I still very much want a child but am concerned about the risks involved.
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ReplyDeleteHow do i subscribe to this blog?
ReplyDeleteI just signed into my google accounts and it says it will notify me (you have to click the notify me option) via email - I guess when people respond to it....
Deletehello,
ReplyDeleteI am based in the UK, and I am due to see a consultant next week , with the view of having a hepatic resection. I have 5 tumors and the largest is 6.3cm. I am very afraid of what to expect.I have read about this condition and understand its a very risky procedure and take about 7-10 hrs in the operating room.
Can anyone tell me about their experience and how they are currently coping after the Op.
hi joanne i am also from the UK, although i have only recently found i have quite a large HA(9cm's) and wondered how you got on with the consultant and how the operation went and how recovery is going? as i haven't seem to have found anyone else from the UK with this medical problem? it would be great to hear from you! x
DeleteHi, I'm currently recovering from my second embolization of a large liver adenoma. Due to the location (central, right between the lobes), surgery was not possible. The first embolization only caused a 20% reduction in enhancement but this go around was much more successful with almost 75% enhancement reduction by 4 days later, when I wound up in the ER from pain and they did a CT scan to make sure nothing went wrong. I cannot speak to resection but the embolization procedure is relatively painless during the procedure with chest and shoulder pain, fever and exhaustion being the main side effects afterwards. To help others, I was kind of put through the ringer figuring out what I had as my initial US, MRI and even the biopsy said that the tumor could be benign or malignant but I wound up being referred to a university hospital that assured me it's an adenoma and benign and they are only doing the embolizations due to rupture potential (size and location). To unknown from November, according to the doctors - anything under 2cm shouldn't affect you when you are pregnant, they will just monitor it if it is getting larger.
ReplyDeleteHi Joanne, I had a larger adenoma than yours (7.3 cm) removed in March 2016. The op only took 1 hour & 15 minutes. I was in hospital for only 3 days. I do have 5 other small ones and fortunately they have remained stable. In a year my surgeon will check them again after an MRI. Do not worry - I am sure it won't take 7-10 hours! I am 54 years of age and not at all fit, but I recovered very well. I hope you do too.
ReplyDeleteI had one HA embolized and ended up with pneumonia and extreme pain and was re-admitted to the hospital as a result. Melissa
DeleteHello everyone. I'm do thankful for finding this blog. I'm a family doctor who was recently diagnosed last month with hepatic adenomatosis. For the past few years, my alk phos has been elevated. During the past year I have been unable to tolerated fatty foods or drink alcohol without feeling lousy afterwards. I was also slowly becoming more anemic. I went to a GI doc and had a negative colonoscopy/egd but ultrasound showed enlarged liver. MRI showed lesions on both sides with the largest being approx 7.3 x 8.4 cm. Biopsy confirmed adenomas.Thankfully it had not ruptured. I was referred to a hepatologist who said that I was going to need a transplant because adenomas were on both sides. Thankfully I called a surgeon who said that he may be able to remove the largest one with resection and possibky ablate the others. This has been a very frustratung process. I was on birth control pills for 15 years and was trying to be responsible. In med school we learned about this condition happening very rarely. It seems like it is happening way more often. We must speak out against this more. I'm praying that I won't need a transplant. I dont have any kids yet but hoping that I may also be able to one day.
ReplyDeleteI had over 30 HAs. I did a embolization of one of the large ones (over 10cm). I became very ill after the embolization. I went on to have a liver transplant in Nov of 2016. I'm happy to talk to anyone that has questions. melissa.pelegrin@gmail.com - Melissa
DeleteHi Marshala, please let us know how things are going with you. Did you have the resection? What is the latest advice from your doctor? How have you been feeling? Sending love (thanks Melissa for your encouraging posts!)
DeleteHi All,
ReplyDelete5yrs ago I had emergency surgery on a hepatic adenoma that was the size of a cantaloupe. It was the worst experience of my life...which I am very lucky didn't end.
5yrs later though, I still can't feel certain areas of my abdomen when I touch it, have some pain and discomfort where the tumor was and feel full after eating very little.
I also found out 6 months ago that I have another HCA which is at 5cm along with 20 other small ones.
The issue here is that i want to have a child in the near future. I have been to a liver specialist who does not want to do the surgery again and tells me to risk the pregnancy. Then I have a high risk OBG telling me to get the surgery. I am going to another liver specialist for a second opinion. I want a child but I don't want to risk a rupture and my life. (the estrogen during pregnancy could cause the rupture). Ultimately the decision is up to me. Has anyone had to make this hard/life altering decision?
I had an extreme case of HA. I chose not to take the pregnancy risk because of the risk of rupture & the HAs growing. I ended up with a transplant. I'm 42 now and don't plan on having kids, but other liver transplant patients have gone on to have children. Melissa
DeleteI also have decided not to have children (in this lifetime ;) the Earth will thank us for it!) But I know it is a tough decision, especially if you are broody. I am encouraging women with HAs who have had babies to share their experiences because there is not much research on this part of HAs.
Deletehi, i live in the UK only recently within the last two months have i found out that i have an HA which is just over 9cm, although this is the only site i have found with others havign the same problem as myself, i have been on the pill fro about 6/7 years even though i am only 20. i went to A&E with upper abdominal and shoulder pain, and been in and out of hospital since yet no doctor has spoken about the treatment plans or how to get rid of it, i know this is still within a short amount of time compared to others stories i have read. this has and still is affecting me not just health wise, i have had to take almost a semester out of uni and drop out of all sports i play, i have lost my appetite and losing more and more weight. this anyone able to give me some advice on treatment plans and timescales etc? i just dont really know what else to do
ReplyDeletethanks jourdan
Thanks for sharing your story Jourdan, we have talked privately to each other on email. Keep me posted on the latest. Sending love
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ReplyDeleteI'm very glad I found this blog! I'm a 26 year old female just diagnosed with multiple adenomas, the largest measuring 9x6x6cm after taking birth control for 9 years. One of my friends is in sonography school and I volunteered to let her practice scanning my gallbladder and ended up being told to see a doctor ASAP. I had an MRI yesterday and got the results back very quickly, but all I was told was that I have the adenomas, to stop taking birth control pills, and I'll be contacted for a follow up MRI in 3 months to see if they shrink. Has anyone with a tumor as large as my own gone off the pill and had significant shrinkage? Nothing has been mentioned to me about the possibility of surgery so far. I also inquired about getting an IUD or other non hormonal birth control and was told we could discuss options after my follow up scan (3 months away), which is a bit annoying considering it sounds like pregnancy is a significant risk for me and I don't see any reason why an IUD couldn't be used now. Also, after surgical removal, is it still dangerous to have children? I don't know about location of mine yet or how many (beyond "multiple"), so I don't know if surgery will be suggested. I got a lot of information from this page so far, and I'm open to any suggestions/input from other women who have gone through a similar experience. I just want to know as much as possible because my family doctor has not given me much to go on.
ReplyDeleteHi all, I was diagnosed with breastcancer a year ago, scans were done and five lesions were found in my liver, biggest being 2cm.. After chemo four were ruled out as being cysts, and only the 2cm one virtually disappeared. Last week my surgeon let slip that the Radiologists are even doubting whether the shrinking tumor was malignant. I wondered do you know whether an adenoma can shrink with chemo? I was on the pill for a year before diagnoses because my hormones have been completely wacked out for the past five years or so... I know there is no easy answer without a biopsy, but I thought I would just put the question out there..Thanks for this encouraging blog!
ReplyDeleteIm 51 menopausal and was taken off the pill 8 months ago due to my age after being on it for 34 years to control endometriosis. I had a clear scan 2 years ago investigating abdominal pain and now I have had another scan for abdominal pain at which time they found two liver tumours. I am assuming whilst waiting for a formal diagnosis that they are HCAs due to my 34 years on the pill. Thank you everyome for your honest and informative accounts as the medical info repeatedly says these tend to be asymptomatic. But they are clearly not. I hope you are all well. X
DeleteAnyone still active on here? I have posted before (above, Christine Nov 23, 2017) but I have had some developments. I was diagnosed in November 2017 with "multiple" HA's, the largest of which was 6x6x9cm and was told to stop birth control and just follow up with a GI and have yearly MRIs. I was supposed to have a follow up MRI march on 2019, but I had a spontaneous bleed from my largest HA and ended up hospitalized and getting that MRI a bit early. The largest HA had grown and started bleeding, but luckily it stayed contained within the liver capsule. They kept me three days and the bleeding resolved on its own, and I was referred to a cancer surgeon at my local hospital, who wanted to remove 70% of my liver this spring. I was also informed that I have 25-30 HA's, when I had been thinking "multiple" meant ~3-5. I felt really uncomfortable jumping into such a large surgery so soon, and not ever even consulting with a liver specialist, so I reached out to a larger hospital (University of Michigan) and was able to get in with a liver surgeon. He highly recommended not jumping straight into the surgery, but having an embolization performed to try and shrink it to make the surgery easier (as well as allow me to work my job with the National Park Service for the summer season). I was very relieved to hear his opinion and I had the embolization performed this week. I feel a little under the weather, but they said it should resolve within a week or so and I have a follow up MRI at the end of the month. I plan to have another MRI in the fall and probably schedule the surgery for late fall. One thing I'm concerned about is the fact that the liver that will remain after surgery will still have HA's in it (but small ones) - has anyone else had this done? From what I've seen on here it sounds like people with as many as me have typically ended up on the transplant list. It's going to be a big surgery and I am not looking forward to it, but it would be nice to have peace of mind that I don't have any huge HA's remaining to worry about spontaneous bleeds. I'd be happy to hear from anyone with similar experiences or advice (devrichr@mail.gvsu.edu)
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