Background: The clinical presentation of foetal hepatic haemangioma (HH) is highly variable, from asymptomatic to life-threatening.
Objective: The aim of this study was to describe foetal hepatic haemangioma and identify prognostic factors.
Materials and methods: Antenatal and postnatal imaging studies, clinical and biological records of infants with antenatally diagnosed HH (2001-2009) were reviewed.
Results: Sixteen foetuses had one focal lesion, with a mean volume of 75 ml (5-240 ml). One had multifocal HH. Most presented as a focal well-delimited heterogeneous vascular mass. Four had associated cardiomegaly, five had cardiac failure. Eight of the nine foetuses with cardiac disorders were symptomatic at birth: cardiac failure with pulmonary hypertension (9), consumptive coagulopathy (8), compartmental syndrome (2). All received supportive medical treatment, four embolisation. Five of these died. The remaining eight had a normal cardiac status. Two became symptomatic after birth: one with a large porto-hepatic shunt and one with significant mass effect. Prenatal cardiac abnormality (univariate, P = 0.031), enlargement of more than one hepatic vein (P = 0.0351) and large volume (P = 0.0372) were associated with symptomatic disease.
Conclusion: Hepatic haemangioma associated with prenatal cardiac disorders, large volume and more than one enlarged hepatic vein have poorer outcome and require specific perinatal multidisciplinary management.