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Surgical resection for hepatocellular carcinoma with metastasis to the gallbladder: Report of a case

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Abstract

A metastatic tumor of the gallbladder is rare. There have so far been no detailed reports of a resection of the metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to the gallbladder published in the English literature. This report presents the case of a surgical resection for hepatocellular carcinoma with metastasis to the gallbladder. A 48-year-old woman consulted her primary care physician due to chest discomfort. Tumors in the liver and gallbladder were unexpectedly found and she was thus referred to this hospital. The radiologic studies showed two tumors. A round-shaped tumor, 30 mm in diameter, in the fossa of the gallbladder of the liver protruded into the lumen of the gallbladder, and a lobulated shaped tumor, measuring 13 mm, was in S5 of the liver. Angiography demonstrated that these tumors showed a pattern of early enhancement and washout. An en bloc resection of the gallbladder and the liver surrounding the gallbladder was performed, and the final diagnosis was moderately differentiated HCC in segment S5 with gallbladder metastasis. The patient is currently doing well 2 years after surgery, without any signs of recurrence. This case demonstrated that good clinical outcome could be achieved by performing surgery in HCC patients with metastasis to the gallbladder.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, 1-3-3 Nakamichi, Higashinari-ku, Osaka, 537-8511, Japan

    Ryu Kanzaki, Terumasa Yamada, Kunihito Gotoh, Hidenori Takahashi, Masahiko Yano, Hiroaki Ohigashi & Osamu Ishikawa

  2. Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, Osaka, Japan

    Masayuki Murata

  3. Department of Pathology, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases, Osaka, Japan

    Yasuhiko Tomita

  4. Department of Surgery, Yao Municipal Hospital, Osaka, Japan

    Yo Sasaki

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  1. Ryu Kanzaki
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  2. Terumasa Yamada
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  10. Osamu Ishikawa
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Kanzaki, R., Yamada, T., Gotoh, K. et al. Surgical resection for hepatocellular carcinoma with metastasis to the gallbladder: Report of a case. Surg Today 41, 285–291 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-010-4223-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00595-010-4223-2

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