Incidental finding of von Meyenburg complexes mimicking liver metastases on routine laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Case presentation A 57 year old, previously well Caucasian male was planned to have a laparoscopic cholecystectomy following ERCP for choledocholithiasis. A diagnostic laparoscopy and biopsy was performed instead, in view of intraoperative findings of multiple 5mm to 15mm nodular white deposits widespread over liver (figure 1). Concerning for liver metastases, biopsies were taken from Segment IVB of liver as frozen section histopathology facilities were unavailable. The histopathology returned as benign bile duct hamartomas (VMC, von Meyenburg complexes). The microscopic description read “small clusters of benign bile duct glands, glands are variably angulated and lined by cuboidal cells containing inspissated bile within lumen. Glands are surrounded by fibrous stroma. Mild incidental hepatic steatosis”.