Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a Patient with Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia

Hepatic manifestations of hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia

Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia is a genetic condition of abnormal blood vessel formation resulting from an imbalance of pro- and anti-angiogenic products of the transforming growth factor β/bone morphogenetic protein signalling pathway which contributes to vascular remodelling and maintenance. Hepatic vascular malformations are common although less frequently symptomatic, but may result in high-output cardiac failure, portal hypertension and biliary ischaemia. Whilst the understanding of the genetic and cell signalling pathways that are the hallmark of hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia have been clarified, there remain challenges in therapy for these patients. Only patients with symptomatic hepatic vascular malformations require treatment, with most (63%) responding to first-line medical therapy. For non-responders, bevacizumab is effective in reducing cardiac output in those with heart failure secondary to hepatic vascular malformations as well as other manifestations of the disease. Although liver transplantation is the only curative option, optimal timing is critical. Novel anti-angiogenetic drugs and those that target aberrant cell signalling pathway are being explored.

[Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia]

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, also known as Rendu-Osler - Weber disease, is a rare, autosomal dominant vascular disease, with prevalence of 1/5,000. The condition is characterized by muco-cutaneous telangiectasias, which are responsible for a hemorrhagic syndrome of variable severity, as well as arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) appearing in the lungs, the liver, and the nervous system. They can be the source of shunts, which may be associated with high morbidity (neurological ischemic stroke, brain abscess, high-output heart failure, biliary ischemia…). It is therefore crucial to establish a clinical diagnosis using the Curaçao criteria or molecular diagnosis based on genetic analysis of the ENG, ACVRL1, SMAD4 and GDF2 genes. In most cases, multidisciplinary management allows patients to have normal life expectancy. Advances in interventional radiology and better understanding of the pathophysiology of angiogenesis have resulted in improved therapeutic management. Anti-angiogenic treatments, such as bevacizumab (BVZ, an anti-VEGF antibody), have proven to be effective in cases involving bleeding complications and severe liver damage with cardiac repercussions. Other anti-angiogenic agents are currently being investigated, including tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

Partial hepatectomy for a patient with Rendu-Osler-Weber disease: a case report

BACKGROUND

Rendu-Osler-Weber disease (Osler disease) is a genetic disease with an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern. It is characterized by widespread telangiectasia in multiple organs. Liver involvement of FNH is relatively common, but liver cancer is very rare, and there are few reports on hepatectomy or postoperative complications. We report a very rare case in which hepatectomy was performed for a patient with Osler disease.

CASE PRESENTATION

The patient was a 39-year-old man with Osler disease who had been previously diagnosed with multiple FNH and who had been followed for 8 years. During follow-up, the diameter of an S6 lesion gradually increased from 30 to 50 mm; no other lesions increased in size. We decided to perform partial liver resection as total biopsy for the growing tumor, due to the possibility that the growing tumor lesion included malignant components. The pathological examination revealed no obvious malignancy, which was finally diagnosed FNH. The postoperative course was uneventful and he was discharged on the 14th day after surgery. In the second month after discharge, he was transferred to our hospital with sudden abdominal pain in the right hypochondrium with severe tenderness. CT showed extravasation of contrast medium from the hepatic dissection surface in S6, and the hematoma extended to the pelvic floor. Emergency IVR was performed and revealed leakage of the contrast medium from the A6 branch. We embolized the A6 with Lipiodol. After embolization, there were no major problems, and the patient was discharged on the 9th day after the treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Postoperative hemorrhage often occurs within 24 h after surgery, and 2 months after surgery is considered to be the late stage of the wound healing process, and postoperative hemorrhage at this timepoint is considered rare. This unexpected delayed postoperative hemorrhage may have been related to the etiology and pathology of Osler disease, nevertheless, case reports of hepatectomy for patients with Osler disease are limited. We, therefore, report the present case with a review of the relevant literature.

Focal Nodular Hyperplasia and Focal Nodular Hyperplasia-like Lesions

Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) is a benign lesion occurring in a background of normal liver. FNH is seen most commonly in young women and can often be accurately diagnosed at imaging, including CT, MRI, or contrast-enhanced US. In the normal liver, FNH frequently must be differentiated from hepatocellular adenoma, which although benign, is managed differently because of the risks of hemorrhage and malignant transformation. When lesions that are histologically identical to FNH occur in a background of abnormal liver, they are termed FNH-like lesions. These lesions can be a source of diagnostic confusion and must be differentiated from malignancies. Radiologists' familiarity with the imaging appearance of FNH-like lesions and knowledge of the conditions that predispose a patient to their formation are critical to minimizing the risks of unnecessary intervention for these lesions, which are rarely symptomatic and carry no risk for malignant transformation. FNH is thought to form secondary to an underlying vascular disturbance, a theory supported by the predilection for formation of FNH-like lesions in patients with a variety of hepatic vascular abnormalities. These include abnormalities of hepatic outflow such as Budd-Chiari syndrome, abnormalities of hepatic inflow such as congenital absence of the portal vein, and hepatic microvascular disturbances, such as those that occur after exposure to certain chemotherapeutic agents. Familiarity with the imaging appearances of these varied conditions and knowledge of their association with formation of FNH-like lesions allow radiologists to identify with confidence these benign lesions that require no intervention. Online supplemental material is available for this article. ^©RSNA, 2022.