Biomaterial Database

Hepatocellular carcinoma presenting as a pancreatic head mass: report of an unusual case. 1997

C J Lowe, and S P Riepe, and W C Wood

Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) spreading to the pancreas is rare and, when it does occur, is most often detected as a late finding at autopsy. We report the first case of HCC initially presenting as a pancreatic mass. Computed tomography (CT) scan showed a 7-cm mass in the dome of the liver and a 3-cm pancreatic head mass causing biliary and duodenal obstruction. Palliative surgery was performed to bypass the pancreatic obstruction. During the operation, fine needle aspiration (FNA) was performed on the pancreatic mass. The liver mass was sampled by percutaneous ultrasound-guided biopsy. Postoperatively, the patient's obstructive symptoms were relieved. The histologic studies showed that both the liver and the pancreatic masses consisted of poorly differentiated HCC that stained positive for alpha-fetoprotein. The rarity and the implications of this presentation are discussed.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008113	Liver Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the LIVER.	Cancer of Liver,Hepatic Cancer,Liver Cancer,Cancer of the Liver,Cancer, Hepatocellular,Hepatic Neoplasms,Hepatocellular Cancer,Neoplasms, Hepatic,Neoplasms, Liver,Cancer, Hepatic,Cancer, Liver,Cancers, Hepatic,Cancers, Hepatocellular,Cancers, Liver,Hepatic Cancers,Hepatic Neoplasm,Hepatocellular Cancers,Liver Cancers,Liver Neoplasm,Neoplasm, Hepatic,Neoplasm, Liver
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D010166	Palliative Care	Care alleviating symptoms without curing the underlying disease. (Stedman, 25th ed)	Palliative Treatment,Palliative Supportive Care,Palliative Surgery,Palliative Therapy,Surgery, Palliative,Therapy, Palliative,Care, Palliative,Palliative Treatments,Supportive Care, Palliative,Treatment, Palliative,Treatments, Palliative
D010180	Pancreatectomy	Surgical removal of the pancreas. (Dorland, 28th ed)	Pancreatectomies
D010190	Pancreatic Neoplasms	Tumors or cancer of the PANCREAS. Depending on the types of ISLET CELLS present in the tumors, various hormones can be secreted: GLUCAGON from PANCREATIC ALPHA CELLS; INSULIN from PANCREATIC BETA CELLS; and SOMATOSTATIN from the SOMATOSTATIN-SECRETING CELLS. Most are malignant except the insulin-producing tumors (INSULINOMA).	Cancer of Pancreas,Pancreatic Cancer,Cancer of the Pancreas,Neoplasms, Pancreatic,Pancreas Cancer,Pancreas Neoplasms,Pancreatic Acinar Carcinoma,Pancreatic Carcinoma,Acinar Carcinoma, Pancreatic,Acinar Carcinomas, Pancreatic,Cancer, Pancreas,Cancer, Pancreatic,Cancers, Pancreas,Cancers, Pancreatic,Carcinoma, Pancreatic,Carcinoma, Pancreatic Acinar,Carcinomas, Pancreatic,Carcinomas, Pancreatic Acinar,Neoplasm, Pancreas,Neoplasm, Pancreatic,Neoplasms, Pancreas,Pancreas Cancers,Pancreas Neoplasm,Pancreatic Acinar Carcinomas,Pancreatic Cancers,Pancreatic Carcinomas,Pancreatic Neoplasm
D002779	Cholestasis	Impairment of bile flow due to obstruction in small bile ducts (INTRAHEPATIC CHOLESTASIS) or obstruction in large bile ducts (EXTRAHEPATIC CHOLESTASIS).	Bile Duct Obstruction,Biliary Stasis,Bile Duct Obstructions,Biliary Stases,Cholestases,Duct Obstruction, Bile,Duct Obstructions, Bile,Obstruction, Bile Duct,Obstructions, Bile Duct,Stases, Biliary,Stasis, Biliary
D003937	Diagnosis, Differential	Determination of which one of two or more diseases or conditions a patient is suffering from by systematically comparing and contrasting results of diagnostic measures.	Diagnoses, Differential,Differential Diagnoses,Differential Diagnosis
D004380	Duodenal Obstruction	Hindrance of the passage of luminal contents in the DUODENUM. Duodenal obstruction can be partial or complete, and caused by intrinsic or extrinsic factors. Simple obstruction is associated with diminished or stopped flow of luminal contents. Strangulating obstruction is associated with impaired blood flow to the duodenum in addition to obstructed flow of luminal contents.	Duodenal Obstructions,Obstruction, Duodenal,Obstructions, Duodenal
D006498	Hepatectomy	Excision of all or part of the liver. (Dorland, 28th ed)	Hepatectomies