D18.03: Haemangioma Hepatobiliary system and pancreas

You have abnormal growth of blood vessels in your liver, bile ducts or pancreas.

When there is abnormal growth of tissue, then this is also referred to as a tumor. The tissue in the body is made up of cells. A tumor disorder involves the cells multiplying more than normal. This results in abnormal or excess tissue forming. A tumor can be benign or malignant. The tumor you have is benign. Benign tumors do not destroy the healthy tissue and do not spread throughout the body.

You have a tumor made up of blood vessels. The tumor is in your liver, bile ducts or pancreas. The liver is an important organ on the top right of the abdomen. For example, it helps with blood clotting and detoxifying the body. Nutrients from food are processed in the liver. Bile is produced in the liver. The bile is transported via bile ducts within the liver towards the gallbladder. The bile is collected in the gallbladder. When you eat something, bile is released into the intestine. This is what the common bile duct to the intestine is for. The pancreas is located in the upper abdomen. It regulates the sugar content in the blood and forms substances for digestion, for example.

This tumor does not usually produce any symptoms. If the tumor is very large, then it can crowd out healthy tissue. Sometimes a lot of blood can come out of the tumor. The tumor can be congenital or arise in the course of a person’s life.