Spontaneous intracapsular hemorrhage of a giant hepatic cavernous hemangioma: a rare case report and literature review

Background Hepatic cavernous hemangioma is the most common type of benign liver tumor. Although ruptures and hemorrhages of hepatic hemangioma are rare complications, they are associated with high mortality. Most practitioners only pay more attention to abdominal hemorrhages caused by the rupture of hepatic hemangiomas. However, spontaneous intracapsular hemorrhages can often be neglected and poorly understood. Case presentation A 65-year-old man was referred to our institution with right upper quadrant pain, which had occurred suddenly and without a history of recent trauma. The blood test results were normal. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the abdomen showed a cystic mass in the right liver lobe. Considering the possibility of hepatic cystadenoma with hemorrhage, the patient underwent a right hepatic lobectomy. The pathological findings unexpectedly revealed intratumoral hemorrhage of hepatic hemangioma. The patient recovered well and was discharged eight days after surgery. Conclusions Intracapsular hemorrhage of hepatic cavernous hemangioma is challenging to diagnose and has a high potential risk of rupture. MRI is beneficial for diagnosing subacute internal hemorrhage cases, and it is recommended to undergo surgery for patients with a definitive diagnosis.

Congenital Absence of the Portal Vein

A 59-year-old woman presented with abdominal bloating, elevated alkaline phosphatase and transaminases, and computed tomography abdomen/pelvis demonstrating large right-sided hepatic masses. A percutaneous fine needle aspiration demonstrated hepatocellular neoplasm concerning for hepatocellular carcinoma. Preoperative imaging demonstrated possible porto-caval shunt. She underwent uneventful right hepatic lobectomy with confirmation of porto-systemic shunt. Congenital porto-systemic shunt, or Abernethy malformation, is rare and is associated with congenital cardiac and gastrointestinal abnormalities. Additionally, congenital porto-systemic shunt is associated with increased risk of hepatic neoplasms including hepatocellular carcinoma. Recommended surveillance for these patients is not well defined.

Primary hepatic gastrinoma being diagnosed preoperatively: a case report and literature review

Background A majority of gastrinomas causing Zollinger–Ellison syndrome are located in the duodenum or pancreas. Primary hepatic gastrinomas are rare and difficult to diagnose. We report a rare case of primary hepatic gastrinoma, which could be diagnosed preoperatively. Case presentation A 29-year-old man with a 55-mm tumor in segments 5 and 6 (S 5/6) of the liver was admitted to our hospital. After thorough investigations, he was treated for a suspected inflammatory pseudotumor and advised to undergo routine follow-up. Two years later, he revisited our hospital with a complaint of abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed multiple duodenal ulcers. His serum gastrin level was 2350 pg/mL (normal: 37–172 pg/mL), suggesting Zollinger–Ellison syndrome. Abdominal computed tomography showed a 78-mm hypervascular tumor with cystic degeneration in the S 5/6 region of the liver, with a potential to increase over time. The tumor showed hypointensity on T2-weighted and hyperintensity on diffusion-weighted abdominal contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS) only detected a hepatic tumor. No tumors in the gastrinoma triangle were detected by endoscopic ultrasonography. Hence, selective arterial calcium injection (SACI) test was performed to determine the location of the gastrinoma. The serum gastrin concentration increased from 4620 pg/mL to 23,600 pg/mL at 20 s after calcium gluconate injection into the proper hepatic artery. Conversely, no effect on serum gastrin level was observed after the injection into any other arteries. Extended right hepatic lobectomy and cholecystectomy were performed after percutaneous transhepatic portal vein embolization. A histopathological examination of the liver tumor revealed a gastrinoma. The patient’s serum gastrin concentration on postoperative day 1 decreased to 65 pg/mL. Conclusion We report a surgical case of primary hepatic gastrinoma correctly diagnosed preoperatively. The patient underwent extended right hepatic lobectomy, resulting in a histological definitive diagnosis of primary hepatic gastrinoma.