Intrapulmonary ectopic liver after orthotopic heart transplantation

Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2010 Jul;134(7):1060-2. doi: 10.5858/2009-0150-CR.1.

Abstract

We report a case of a 54-year-old woman who was found to have multiple intrapulmonary nodules detected on imaging 33 months after orthotopic heart transplantation. Needle biopsy of 2 discrete nodules showed benign hepatic tissue, consistent with intrapulmonary foci of ectopic liver. In this report, the clinical, radiologic, microscopic, and fluorescent in situ hybridization results of 2 biopsied nodules are described. A brief review of the published information on ectopic liver is also presented. To our knowledge, multiple ectopic foci of the liver have never been reported at any site. Furthermore, this is the first reported case that involves a transplant recipient, thereby introducing additional, unique ramifications to this rare but intriguing entity.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Choristoma / diagnosis
  • Choristoma / etiology*
  • Female
  • Heart Transplantation / adverse effects*
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry / methods
  • In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
  • Liver*
  • Lung Diseases / diagnosis
  • Lung Diseases / etiology*
  • Middle Aged
  • Multiple Pulmonary Nodules / diagnosis
  • Multiple Pulmonary Nodules / etiology*
  • Staining and Labeling
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed