Abstract
The authors report a case of traumatic rupture of a liver hemangioma treated by hepatectomy following Transcatheter Arterial Embolization (TAE). A 64-year-old female fell and bruised her lumbar area ; she became hypotensive. After fluid resuscitation her cardiovascular status normalized. Computed tomography of the abdomen demonstrated intra-abdominal bleeding, a 4-cm hemangioma in the left lobe of the liver, and extravasation of contrast from the hemangioma. A traumatic rupture of a liver hemangioma was diagnosed, and TAE was performed. In order to avoid the risk of re-bleeding, a hepatectomy was performed 26/days after TAE.
Ruptured hemangioma is associated with a high mortality rate. The TAE procedure is effective, but there is a risk of re-bleeding and uncertainty about it's long-term effectiveness. In ruptured hemangioma cases, TAE should be considered before hepatectomy, to stabilize the patient hemodynamically.
