Hepatic
hemangiomas are the most common benign
tumor of the liver. Most hepatic
hemangiomas remain asymptomatic and require no treatment. Giant hepatic
hemangiomas with established complications, diagnostic uncertainty and incapacitating symptoms, however, are generally considered an absolute indication for surgical resection. We present a case of a giant
hemangioma with
intestinal obstruction following transcatheter arterial embolization, by which the volume of the
hemangioma was significantly reduced, and it was completely resected by a left
hepatectomy. A 21-year-old Asian man visited our hospital for left upper quadrant
pain. Examinations at the first visit revealed a left liver
hemangioma occupying the abdominal cavity, with a maximum diameter of 31.5 cm. Embolization of the left hepatic artery was performed and confirmed a decrease in its size. However, the patient was readmitted to our hospital one month after embolization for
intestinal obstruction. A left
hepatectomy was completed through a herringbone incision, and safely removed a giant
hemangioma of 26.5 cm × 19.5 cm × 12.0 cm in size and 3690 g in weight. Pre-operative arterial embolization is effective for reducing
tumor size, but a close follow-up to decide the time for
hepatectomy is important.