Clinical and Ultrasonographic Features of Hepatic Infantile Hemangioendothelioma

Objective To investigate the clinical manifestations and ultrasound features of hepatic infantile hemangioendothelioma (IHE).Methods This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical features and ultrasound characteristics of 8 patients of IHE, whose diagnosis was confirmed by surgery or liver biopsy from January 2010 to October 2016. Results Among the eight IHE patients, the male-to-female ratio was 1∶1, with the mean age ranged from 15 d to 3 yr., of which six individuals were younger than 3 months old. Seven patients had single lesion and one case was multiple. The average size of the lesions was (8.2±1.0) cm diameter. Hypoechoic (4 cases) and echogenic lesions (3 cases) were shown by echography, the lesions border and morphology were clearly defined in 7 cases.Furthermore, internal echoes were mostly inhomogeneous (4 cases), and calcification or peripheral halo were even visible. Color Dopplar flow imaging (CDFI) showed internal visible line or more abundant blood flow signal in 6 cases, mainly to venous blood flow. Conclusion The age of onset for hepatic IHE seems less than three months. The echography with single lesion with clear border, regular solid mass or calcification in the tumor, should come to the possibility of IHE.