Hepatectomy Cures a Cough: Giant Cavernous Hemangioma in a Patient With Persistent Cough

• Published in: Journal of Osteopathic Medicine (Online) Vol. 110; no. 11; pp. 675 - 677
• Main Authors: Shellenberger, M. Joshua, Smith, Robert, Varma, Chintalapati, Kotru, Anil, Maloo, Manoj, Gerst, Heather
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Osteopathic Association 01.11.2010
• ISSN: 2702-3648
• DOI: 10.7556/jaoa.2010.110.11.675

Cavernous hemangiomas are the most common type of benign liver tumor. Although these tumors are often asymptomatic, they can occur with an array of symptoms. The authors describe a case of a 51-year-old man who presented to the emergency department with a relentless cough, nausea, and abdominal pain. Results of a computed tomography scan suggested the patient had a giant cavernous hemangioma on his liver; microscopic evaluation confirmed this diagnosis. The hemangioma was initially deemed unresectable and the patient was treated with one session of hepatic artery embolization. The embolization was unsuccessful at easing the patient's symptoms, however, and a hepatic lobectomy and resection was performed. After surgical intervention, the patient's symptoms resolved. The present case illustrates an unusual instance in which chronic cough was cured through hepatectomy for giant cavernous hemangioma. To our knowledge, no reports of coughing as a primary symptom of giant cavernous hemangioma have been previously reported in the literature.