A Potentially Misleading Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) typically presents in patients with a chronic liver disease and rarely develops in healthy liver, especially within an accessory liver lobe. We present a case of a healthy 64-years-old woman who showed a serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) value of 226.3 µg/mL during a screening blood test. Past medical history was negative for chronic liver disease or cirrhosis. Intraoperative finding was an ovaloid mass connected with the second hepatic segment by a thin pedicle of hepatic tissue. Lesion was safely resected by laparoscopic approach. Histopathology analysis showed a trabecular hepatocellular carcinoma. After a 6-month follow up, there was no evidence of recurrent disease. This case report showed how serum AFP remains a highly sensitive marker, although the presentation of HCC was unusual. To our knowledge, this is the second case reported in the literature.