There are liver abnormalities that are benign or harmless. For the most part they are found on some routine CT or MRI being conducted for an entirely different reason since they generally cause no symptoms or pain.
It does, however, mean that once they have been spotted, these abnormal spots will be tracked in radiology to make sure that they do not change, grow or that they were correctly diagnosed as benign.
There are three more common benign liver tumors:
Hemangiomas – Hemangiomas are collections of blood vessels that have grown out into a tumor. The most common liver benign tumor, it is estimated that as much as 5% of adults in the United States may have them. They are frequently small and are found more commonly in women than men. Unless they grow or are near other organs, hemangiomas are generally left alone and have no symptoms.
Focal Nodular Hyperplasia (FNH) – If someone is going to develop FNH tumors, they generally do so between the ages of 20-30. Like Hemangiomas, they are more common in women than men. Like Hemangiomas, they produce no symptoms and are not treated unless in very rare situations, they cause pain. Should they cause discomfort, surgical removal may be required.
Hepatocellular Adenomas – Hepatocellular Adenomas are a rare benign tumor, but when discovered, are usually found in women of childbearing age. They are linked to high dose birth control pills. It is rare to find these as they cause no symptoms and lead to no problems. When discovered, it may be advised to discontinue oral contraception to shrink or prevent any growth in the tumors. Sometimes, if the tumors are larger or fail to shrink, it may require surgery to remove them.