Spontaneous Regression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Multiple Lung Metastases: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Eirini Pectasides; Rebecca Miksad; Sergey Pyatibrat; Amogh Srivastava; Andrea Bullock

doi:10.1007/s10620-016-4141-2

Spontaneous Regression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Multiple Lung Metastases: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Dig Dis Sci. 2016 Sep;61(9):2749-54. doi: 10.1007/s10620-016-4141-2. Epub 2016 Apr 1.

Authors

Eirini Pectasides^{1

2}, Rebecca Miksad², Sergey Pyatibrat³, Amogh Srivastava⁴, Andrea Bullock⁵

Affiliations

¹ Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
² Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
³ University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, USA.
⁴ Metrowest Radiology Associates, Framingham, MA, USA.
⁵ Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA. [email protected].

PMID: 27038447
DOI: 10.1007/s10620-016-4141-2

Abstract

Spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare event. Here we present a case of spontaneous regression of metastatic HCC. A 53-year-old man with hepatitis C and alcoholic cirrhosis was found to have a large liver mass consistent with HCC based on its radiographic features. Imaging also revealed left portal and hepatic vein thrombosis, as well as multiple lung nodules concerning for metastases. Approximately 2 months after the initial diagnosis, both the primary liver lesion and the lung metastases decreased in size and eventually resolved without any intervention. Thereafter, the left hepatic vein thrombus progressed into the inferior vena cava and the right atrium, and the patient died due to right heart failure. In this case report and literature review, we discuss the potential mechanisms for and review the literature on spontaneous regression of metastatic HCC.

Keywords: Metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma; Spontaneous regression.

Publication types

Case Reports
Review

MeSH terms

Budd-Chiari Syndrome / complications
Budd-Chiari Syndrome / diagnostic imaging*
Budd-Chiari Syndrome / pathology
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / complications
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / diagnostic imaging*
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / metabolism
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / secondary
Fatal Outcome
Heart Failure / etiology
Hepatitis C, Chronic / complications
Humans
Liver / diagnostic imaging
Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / complications
Liver Neoplasms / complications
Liver Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
Liver Neoplasms / metabolism
Lung / diagnostic imaging
Lung Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
Lung Neoplasms / secondary
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Middle Aged
Multiple Pulmonary Nodules / diagnostic imaging*
Multiple Pulmonary Nodules / secondary
Portal Vein
Remission, Spontaneous*
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Tumor Hypoxia
Ultrasonography
Vena Cava, Inferior
Venous Thrombosis / complications
Venous Thrombosis / diagnostic imaging*
Venous Thrombosis / pathology
alpha-Fetoproteins / metabolism

Substances

alpha-Fetoproteins