Misdiagnosing hepatic inflammatory pseudotumor as hepatocellular carcinoma: A case report

Abstract

A 61-year-old Chinese male was found to have a lesion in the left liver during a routine body check-up. Laboratory tests revealed no abnormalities except for a rise in C-reactive protein. Computed tomography showed features suggestive of hepatocellular carcinoma. The patient underwent liver IVb segmentectomy and cholecystectomy. Histopathology showed features of hepatic inflammatory pseudotumor. The C-reactive protein decreased to close to normal on postoperative day 9. A patient with hepatic inflammatory pseudotumor who presented with features mimicking hepatocellular carcinoma was reported. A preoperatively raised C-reactive protein was the only hint which suggested that our patient might have had hepatic inflammatory pseudotumor instead of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Keywords: cholecystectomy; hepatectomy; hepatic inflammatory pseudotumor; hepatocellular carcinoma.

Figure 1

Abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed a large, solid mass (7 cm in size) in segment IV of liver. Contrast‐enhanced CT imaging revealed a quasi‐circular, low density mass of 7 × 5 × 5 cm with unclear borders and heterogeneous density (a). The lesion was enhanced unevenly in the arterial phase (b) and washout in the venous phase (c). The surgical specimen showed a fishlike and uniform mass (d).