Rupture of hepatic hemangioma during pregnancy : A case report

ABSTRACT

We report a case of hepatic hemangioma rupture in a 36-year-old woman with a 34-week twin pregnancy. Hemangiomas are the most common benign tumors of the liver and most of them are small and asymptomatic. However, they can induce severe abdominal pain or fatal hemorrhage when ruptured spontaneously during pregnancy. Because of non-specific symptoms and the presence of the large gravid uterus during pregnancy, it is difficult to reach this diagnosis. Under spinal anesthesia, a cesarean section for twin delivery and removal of the hematoma in the abdominal cavity were performed. However, the source of active bleeding was not found during the operation. The spontaneous rupture of hepatic hemangioma was diagnosed after postoperative hepatic angiography and treated successfully by embolization of the left hepatic artery.