A Case of Ectopic Primary Hepatocellular Carcinoma which Ruptured Spontaneously

Teisao Chida, Takashi Toshima*, Ken Fukuda*, Shouich Onochi*, Norimichi Nakajima**, Yoshihiro Asanuma, Kneji Koyama

First Department of Surgery, Akita University School of Medicine
*Department of Surgery, Senboku Cooperative Association General Hospital
**Nakajima Hospital

A 59-year-old man was taken to the hospital because of shock. Ultrasound examination revealed quantities of intraperitoneal fluid, which was shown by abdominal tap to be sanguineous. The patient underwent an emergency operation and at laparotomy approximetely 2500 ml of blood was withdrawn from the abdominal cavity and a ruptured tumor was found in the left triangle ligament of the liver. Histological examination revealed that the tumor was a hepatocellular carcinoma (Edmondson's grade II) and had no connection with the liver itself. Consequently, the ectopic primary hepatocellular carcinoma growing in the left triangle ligament ruptured spontaneously. Ectopic hepatocellular carcinoma is very rare, with only three cases reported so far in Japan.

Key words
ectopic hepatocellular carcinoma, ectopic liver, spontaneous rupture of ectopic hepatocellular carcinoma

Reprint requests
Teisao Chiba First Department of Surgery, Akita University School of Medicine
1-1-1, Hondo, Akita, 010 JAPAN

Accepted
November 20, 1991

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