Primary choriocarcinoma of the liver: a rare, but important differential diagnosis of liver lesions

A poor prognostic male choriocarcinoma with multiple systemic metastases: a case report and the literature review

Background

Non-gestational choriocarcinoma, also known as primary choriocarcinoma, is extremely rare in men, manifesting with specific signs such as breast feminization, testicular atrophy, and loss of libido. The presentation typically includes elevated serum β-hCG levels, widespread metastatic disease, and a rapid progression of the condition.

Case report

We present a rare case of a 41-year-old man diagnosed with choriocarcinoma, exhibiting a unique combination of multiple metastases, including lung, brain, bone, and retroperitoneal lymph node metastases, as confirmed by 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging. The patient was treated with aggressive chemotherapy and pembrolizumab, and the prognosis remained poor. The patient's overall survival was a mere 5 months following diagnosis.

Conclusion

Non-gestational choriocarcinoma represents a rare entity in clinical practice and should be considered in young men presenting with gynaecomastia and elevated β-hCG levels alongside normal gonads. Thus, we advocate for a more comprehensive inquiry into medical history and a systematic examination. The 18F-FDG PET/CT examination not only visually delineates the lesion's location and extent but also serves as a cornerstone for clinical tumor staging, providing valuable support for treatment monitoring and subsequent follow-up.

[Primary choriocarcinoma of the liver in a 36-year-old male patient. A case report and literature review]

The article presents a case of primary liver choriocarcinoma in a 36-year-old man. The patient was admitted to the hospital with signs of rapidly developing multiple organ failure, in connection with which the diagnosis was verified at autopsy according to histological and immunohistochemical studies. Diagnostic criteria and treatment options for this disease are insufficiently developed due to its rarity. To date, 11 clinical cases of primary choriocarcinoma of the liver in males have been described in the international literature. The article presents a review of the literature, as well as describes all published clinical observations of the disease.

Primary hepatic mixed germ cell tumor in an adult

Primary hepatic mixed germ cell tumor (GCT) is very rare, and less than 10 cases have been reported. We report a case of mixed GCT composed of a choriocarcinoma and yolk sac tumor, which occurred in the liver of a 40-year-old woman. A large mass was detected by computed tomography solely in the liver. Serum β-human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) was highly elevated, otherwise, other serum tumor markers were slightly elevated or within normal limits. For hepatic choriocarcinoma, neoadjuvant chemotherapy was administered, followed by right lobectomy. Histologic features of the resected tumor revealed characteristic choriocarcinoma features with diffuse positivity for hCG in the syncytiotrophoblasts and diffuse positivity for α-fetoprotein and Sal-like protein 4 in the yolk sac tumor components. Primary malignant GCT in the liver is associated with a poor prognosis and requires specific treatment. Therefore, GCT should be considered during a differential diagnosis of a rapidly growing mass in the liver.