PERICARDITIC PSEUDO-CIRRHOSIS OF THE LIVER, OR PICK'S DISEASE

Pseudocirrhosis: A Case Series with Clinical and Radiographic Correlation and Review of the Literature

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Pseudocirrhosis is a poorly understood acquired morphologic change of the liver that occurs in the setting of metastatic malignancy and radiographically resembles cirrhosis. Pseudocirrhosis has been primarily described in metastatic breast carcinoma, with few case reports arising from other primary malignancies. We present 29 cases of pseudocirrhosis, including several cases from primary malignancies not previously described.

METHODS

Radiologic, clinical, demographic, and biomedical data were collected retrospectively and analyzed. We compared clinical and radiologic characteristics and outcomes between patients with pseudocirrhosis arising in metastatic breast cancer and non-breast primary malignancies.

RESULTS

Among the 29 patients, 14 had breast cancer and 15 had non-breast primaries including previously never reported primaries associated with pseudocirrhosis, melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, appendiceal carcinoid, and cholangiocarcinoma. Median time from cancer diagnosis to development of pseudocirrhosis was 80.8 months for patients with primary breast cancer and 29.8 months for non-breast primary (p = 0.02). Among all patients, 15 (52%) had radiographic features of portal hypertension. Radiographic evidence of portal hypertension was identified in 28.6% of breast cancer patients, compared to 73.3% of those with non-breast malignancies (p = 0.03).

CONCLUSION

Pseudocirrhosis has most commonly been described in the setting of metastatic breast cancer but occurs in any metastatic disease to the liver. Our study suggests that portal hypertensive complications are more common in the setting of non-breast primary cancers than in metastatic breast cancer. Prior exposure to multiple chemotherapeutic agents, and agents known to cause sinusoidal injury, is a common feature but not essential for the development of pseudocirrhosis.

A case report of constrictive pericarditis: a forgotten cause of refractory ascites

Constrictive pericarditis is well known but rare and commonly forgotten cause of ascites. Early diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis is difficult due to absence of typical cardiopulmonary signs and multiple vague symptoms and its insidious course. In this case report, we present, a 61-year-old male referred for liver transplantation vs transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt work-up for presumptive diagnosis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis cirrhosis and refractory ascites. Comprehensive work-up before liver transplantation including liver biopsy, liver ultrasound, and Doppler, magnetic resonance imaging was not consistent with liver cirrhosis. Echocardiographic was suggestive of constrictive pericarditis, further work-up with right heart catheterization, cardiovascular magnetic resonance and multidetector cardiac computed tomography confirmed the diagnosis of constrictive pericarditis. Patient underwent surgical pericardiectomy, he reminded stable after surgery and did not require further paracentesis and discharged in stable condition.