GIANT CAVERNOUS HEPATIC HEMANGIOMAS IN ADULTS - ENUCLEATION UNDER SELECTIVE BLOOD INFLOW CONTROL

Among hepatic hemangiomas (the most common solid hepatic tumor in adul ts), ''giant hemangiomas'' are those defined by a diameter greater tha n 4 cm. The natural history of such lesions is unclear, and many surgi cal procedures have been described. In five women and one man (mean ag e 49), we successfully used enucleation of the tumor under blood inflo w control. This technique was made possible by a cleavage plane betwee n the hepatic parenchyma and the hemangioma. This straightforward and safe procedure required a low rate of transfusion (mean 200 mL/patient ) and spared a maximum amount of hepatic tissue.