Hepatic adenoma following short period of oral contraceptive use.

Hepatic adenoma is a rare, benign tumor of the liver, and its occurrence has been strongly associated with use of oral contraceptives. An estimated 320 cases of hepatic adenoma are diagnosed each year, 282 of which are attributable to oral contraceptive use.! This association was first suggested by Baum et aI,2 who in 1973 reported seven cases of hepatic adenoma, all related to oral contraceptive use. This association has been supported by other publications.3,4 In women who have never used oral contraceptives or who have used them for less than 24 months, hepatocellular adenoma develops at an annual rate of 1 and 1.3 per million, respectively, for women aged 16 to 30 years and 31 to 44 years.! Oral contraceptive-related hepatic adenoma has mostly been reported in women who used the pills for 2 years or longer. This report describes hepatic adenoma in a 31year-old woman who had been taking oral contraceptives for less than 24 interrupted months. The rarity of this entity makes it worth reporting.