Hepatocellular Adenoma (Hepatic Adenoma)

A rare and benign liver tumour, Hepatocellular or Hepatic Adenoma, is also called Liver Adenoma or liver cell adenoma. It usually affects women and is said to be caused by birth control pills.

Types 

Hepatic adenomas are classified into four primary types. Although each has different features, they are treated the same way. 

Inflammatory – These are usually found in women and make up more than half of the cases. 

HNF1A-mutated – Mostly seen in women, HNF-1 inactivated adenomas usually don’t have complications. Over 35%-40% of all hepatic adenomas have this. 

Beta-catenin activated – Usually, men get this kind of adenoma.

Unclassified – These are 10% to 25% of hepatic adenomas.

Causes

The most common cause of Hepatocellular Adenoma is using oestrogen-based oral contraceptive pills. When this use is prolonged and is given with high doses of oestrogen, it can lead to Liver Adenoma.

Pregnancy can also cause this condition as it encourages the release of some hormones that could cause these tumours.

Lesser-known causes are:

• Use of steroids and barbiturates
• Type 1 diabetes
• Excessive iron in the blood
• Type 1 Von Gierke disease (due to glycogen storage) and Type 3 Cori or Forbes disease
• Obesity
• Metabolic syndrome

Symptoms

Not often does Hepatocellular Adenoma cause symptoms, but when it does, the symptoms are mild and include nausea, pain and a feeling of fullness. Typically, this happens when the tumour has grown so large that it puts pressure on the tissues and organs nearby.

One might not be aware of the liver adenoma till it ruptures. In this condition, the tumour is serious as it can lead to:

• Sudden stomach ache
• Low blood pressure
• Internal bleeding
• At times, it could be life-threatening

Diagnosis

If the doctor suspects a tumour, he will ask for tests to be done to identify the presence of a tumour and ascertain its cause. Other tests could include an ultrasound, CT scans, MRI and a liver biopsy.

Treatment

When a tumour is under two inches in length, it’s hardly ever considered complicated. For a small tumour, the doctor could suggest observing it for some time before treatment can begin. The doctor could suggest that the patient stop taking birth control pills to retard the progress of the tumour.

When kept under observation, usually tumours disappear. Using an ultrasound to check the size of the tumour will help at this stage.

Large tumours are generally removed by liver resection surgery, as otherwise it could lead to complications like bleeding and sudden rupture.

When the Hepatocellular Adenoma is over two inches long, or when patients cannot stop taking birth control pills or when men are diagnosed with liver adenomas, surgery is the best solution.

If left untreated, Hepatocellular Adenoma can turn cancerous.

Complications

If untreated, hepatic adenomas can rupture, causing abdominal pain and internal bleeding. A ruptured hepatic adenoma requires immediate medical treatment.

In rare cases, untreated hepatic adenomas can become cancerous. This is more likely when the tumour is large. Hepatic adenomas develop into liver cancer in approximately 5% of cases. This happens more often in men, as well as those with larger or beta-catenin-activated tumours.

WHY Rela Hospital

Advantages/Expertise

We believe, as you do, that liver adenoma is a terrible condition to experience. The good thing, however, is that we have the finest Liver Adenoma Treatment Hospital in Chennai that you can depend on. Dr Rela Hospital, Chennai, has the distinction of being a wholly dedicated hospital to all liver conditions, no matter how serious.

And it’s not difficult for us to treat patients with this condition. After all, we have the best teams of liver specialists, surgeons, oncologists, radiologists and other allied specialists who pool their knowledge to provide the best medical service to patients in need.

So, it’s not surprising that our hospital is thronged by people from all over the country who are in dire need of Hepatocellular Adenoma (Hepatic Adenoma) treatment. Our teams are some of the best Liver Adenoma Treatment Specialists in India, with their niche expertise, updated skills, knowledge and know-how of the latest techniques in this field.

Together, they make a great team, and altogether, they work harmoniously to make the Dr Rela Hospital the best Liver Adenoma Hospital in Chennai, India.