- According to Dr. Karen Kodsi Garfield of the department of radiology at St. Luke's Hospital in New York, HA tumors are most often seen in women of childbearing age who use oral contraceptives. Large HAs may cause abdominal pain, and, rarely, may rupture and cause hemorrhagic shock.
- HAs are strongly associated with use of oral contraception. If the doctor decides a biopsy isn't necessary due to the size and location of the HA, the recommended treatment is a discontinuation of birth-control pills, in which case the HA should disappear.
- Although HAs are benign lesions, this risk of malignant transformation is present for large lesions at the surface of the liver. In this case, surgical removal of the tumor is recommended.
- Transarterial embolization (TAE) is another HA treatment method used to reduce the size of the tumor and prevent hemorrhaging. This minimally invasive treatment entails catheter-directed delivery of special medication in order to induce thrombosis, control hemorrhage and/or reduce tumor growth.
- Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is another minimally invasive procedure that involves use of radiofrequency to stimulate healing of the affected liver area. The results of a study conducted by the departments of epidemiology and biostatistics of the Program for the Assessment of Radiological Technology of Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, and published in the Radiology journal in 2009 indicate that RFA is the most effective HA treatment method.
- Emergency surgical removal of an HA occurs when the lesion ruptures and the bleeding seeps into other organs.