Hemangiomas are abnormally dense collections of dilated small blood vessels (capillaries) that may occur in the skin or internal organs. Hemangiomas are diagnosed by a physical examination. In the case of deep or mixed lesions, a CT scan or MRI scan may be performed to ensure that deeper structures are not involved. Occasionally, a hemangioma may be associated with other rare syndromes. Additional studies should be done to determine if any of these syndromes are present.A hemangioma may be benign (non-cancerous) tumor consisting of dilated blood vessels. When a hemangioma occurs in the liver it is called a hepatic hemangioma. Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy is the only method to distinguish small liver metastases from small haemangiomas.
