ary hepatic angiosarcoma is an extremely rare tumor. It is associated with chronic exposure to thorotrast, vinyl chloride, arsenic, radium and possibly copper and with chronic idiopathic hemochromatosis. However, there are no known causes in
about
40%
of these patients. Although 40% of patients have hepatic fibrosis or cirrhosis at autopsy, the nature of the association between chronic liver disease and hepatic angiosarcoma is unknown. Only 3% of patients with hepatic angiosarcoma can liver
longer
than 2 years.
A 44-year-old man was admitted due to right upper quadrant pain. He had no history of
exposure to vinyl chloride, thorotrast, or arsenic. Abdominal CT scan showed multiple variable
sized low density lesions with tortuous contrast, enhancement from the periphery of the tumor
in the right lobe of the liver. On the 2nd hospital day, hemoperitoneum was developed and
emergency selective angiograpy was performed. In seletive angiography, the vascular pudding
and stretching of the hepatic artery due to the enlarged tumor was shown on the right lobe
of the liver from early arterial to late venous phase. In spite of double spting coil
embolization and conservative care, the patient died. The patient was confirmed to have
primary hepatic angiosarcoma by blind liver biopsy.
We report a patient of primary hepatic angiosarcoma who came to the hospital because of
right upper quadrant pain and died of spontaneous rupture of the tumor with hemoperitoneum.
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