Skip to main content
Log in

An atypical extrahepatic metastasis of the distal phalanx from hepatocellular carcinoma

  • Case Report
  • Published:
International Journal of Clinical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A 49-year-old woman presented with severe swelling and pain of the left little finger, which had exacerbated rapidly, in October 2006. The patient had a history of hepatocellular carcinoma and metastatic lung cancer. She had undergone partial hepatectomy for the hepatocellular carcinoma in September 2001 and pulmonary resection for metastatic lung cancer in November 2005. Roentgenogram of the hand on admission showed complete destruction of the distal phalanx of the left little finger. The final pathological result of the tissue obtained by disarticulation was an extrahepatic metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Extrahepatic metastasis from primary hepatocellular carcinoma to the hand is very rare and only four cases have been reported in the literature. All the patients with extrahepatic metastases from the primary hepatocellular carcinoma to the hand had poor prognoses, but the patient presented in this article exhibited an unusual clinical course. The patient is still alive 1 year after the diagnosis of extrahepatic bone metastasis of the distal phalanx.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Reichbach EJ, Levinson JD, Fagin RR (1970) Unusual osseous metastases of hepatoma. JAMA 213:2078–2079

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Delsmann BM, Lienemann A, Nerlich A, et al. (1998) Primary manifestation of hepatocellular carcinoma as osteolytic hand metastasis — a case report. Z Orthop Ihre Grenzgeb 136:571–573

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Lee KS, Lee SH, Kang KH, et al. (1999) Metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma of the distal phalanx of the thumb. Hand Surg 4:95–100

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Fontana T, Siciliano M, Franceschelli A, et al. (2004) An atypical bone metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma: case report and review of the literature. Clin Ter 155:447–451

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Katyal S, Oliver JH 3rd, Peterson MS, et al. (2000) Extrahepatic metastases of hepatocellular carcinoma. Radiology 216:698–703

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. The Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan (1989) Primary liver cancer in Japan. Cancer 54:1747–1755

    Google Scholar 

  7. Si MS, Amersi F, Golish SR, et al. (1999) Prevalence of metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatogastroenterology 46:1049–1052

    Google Scholar 

  8. Shuto T, Hirohashi K, Kudo S, et al. (2003) Treatment of adrenal metastases after hepatic resection of a hepatocellular carcinoma. Dig Surg 18:294–297

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Uka K, Aikata H, Takaki S, et al. (2007) Clinical features and prognosis of patients with extrahepatic metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma. World J Gastroenterol 21:414–420

    Google Scholar 

  10. Natsuizaka M, Omura T, Akaike T, et al. (2005) Clinical features of hepatocellular carcinoma with extrahepatic metastases. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 20:1781–1787

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Yeu-Tsu MI, Geer DA (1987) Primary liver cancer: pattern of metastasis. J Surg Oncol 36:26–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Inagaki Y, Unoura M, Urabe T, et al. (1993) Distant metastases of hepatocellular carcinoma after successful treatment of the primary lesion. Hepatogastroenterology 40:316–319

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Nakashima T, Okuda K, Kojiro M, et al. (1983) Pathology of hepatocellular carcinoma in Japan. Cancer 51:863–877

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Okazaki N, Yoshino M, Yoshida T, et al. (1985) Bone metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer 55:1991–1994

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Fukusato T, Aoyama H, Mori W (1989) Age and sex differences in bone metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma in Japanese autopsy cases. Gastroenterol Jpn 24:127–134

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Taki Y, Yamaoka Y, Takayasu T, et al. (1992) Bone metastases of hepatocellular carcinoma after liver resection. J Surg Oncol 50:12–18

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Kuhlman JE, Fishman EK, Leichner PK, et al. (1986) Skeletal metastasis from hepatoma: frequency, distribution and radiographic features. Radiology 160:175–178

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Kay RM, Eckardt JJ, Goldstein LI, et al. (1994) Metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma to the bone in a liver transplant patient: a case report. Clin Orthop Relat Res 303:237–241

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Gattuso P, Reyes CV (1988) Hepatocellular carcinoma with bone metastasis. J Surg Oncol 39:33–34

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Liaw CC, Ng KT, Chen TJ, et al. (1989) Hepatocellular carcinoma presenting as bone metastasis. Cancer 64:1753–1757

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Galmarti CM, Kertesz A, Oliva R, et al. (1998) Metastasis of bronchogenic carcinoma to the thumb. Med Oncol 15:282–285

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Carvalho Hde A, Tsai PW, Takagaki TY (2002) Thumb metastasis from small cell lung cancer treated with radiation. Rev Hosp Clin Fac Med Sao Paulo 57:283–286

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Okuda K, Ohtsuki T, Obata H, et al. (1985) Natural history of hepatocellular carcinoma and prognosis in relation to treatment. Cancer 56:918–928

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Poon RT, Fan ST, O’suilleabhain CB, et al. (2002) Aggressive management of patients with extrahepatic and intrahepatic recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma by combined resection and locoregional therapy. J Am Coll Surg 195:311–318

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Lo CM, Lai EC, Fan ST, et al. (1994) Resection for extrahepatic recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma. Br J Surg 81:1019–1021

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Lam CM, Lo CM, Yuen WK, et al. (1998) Prolonged survival in selected patients following surgical resection for pulmonary metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma. Br J Surg 85:1198–1120

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shunji Matsunaga.

About this article

Cite this article

Otsuji, M., Matsunaga, S., Koga, H. et al. An atypical extrahepatic metastasis of the distal phalanx from hepatocellular carcinoma. Int J Clin Oncol 14, 159–162 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10147-008-0806-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10147-008-0806-y

Key words

Navigation