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Malignant Vascular Tumors of the Liver Presenting as Liver Failure and Portal Hypertension
Author(s) -
Rojter Sergio,
Villamil Federico G.,
Petrovic Lidija M.,
Silverman Jeffrey M.,
Woolf Graham M.,
Podesta Luis G.,
Makowka Leonard,
Vierling John M.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
liver transplantation and surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.814
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1527-6473
pISSN - 1074-3022
DOI - 10.1002/lt.500010304
Subject(s) - medicine , epithelioid hemangioendothelioma , liver transplantation , pathology , pathological , angiosarcoma , differential diagnosis , portal hypertension , magnetic resonance imaging , liver tumor , hemangioendothelioma , autopsy , transplantation , radiology , cirrhosis , immunohistochemistry , hepatocellular carcinoma
Abstract We describe three patients referred for orthotopic liver transplantation with liver failure and portal hypertension who were found to have malignant vascular tumors: two patients with angiosarcoma and one patient with epithelioid hemangioendothelioma. Their clinical presentation mimicked decompensated chronic liver disease. None had tumor masses on computed tomography and ultrasonography. Massive tumor involvement of the liver was identified in the two patients studied by magnetic resonance imaging. Pathological examination of the explanted liver at the time of transplantation in one patient and autopsy in a second patient showed angiosarcoma. Laparoscopic liver biopsies in the third patient showed epithelioid hemangioendothelioma. The vascular origin of the tumor was established by histopathologic examination and confirmed with immunohistochemistry. Malignant vascular tumors of the liver should be included in the differential diagnosis of liver failure of unclear etiology Copyright © 1995 by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.