[Hepatobiliary cystic tumors. Clinical, radiological and histopathological study of 7 cases]

Hepatobiliary cystic tumors are rare, but must be correctly diagnosed because of their potential malignancy. We report the clinical, radiological, pathological and evolutive characteristics of 7 cases of hepatobiliary cystic tumors.

Complete clinical charts were available. Radiological and pathological documents were reviewed.

There were 4 females and 3 males (median age, 58.7 yrs). In 3 cases, the presenting symptom was the palpation of a mass in the right upper abdominal quadrant. In 6 cases, pre-operative imaging studies showed a cystic intra-hepatic mass, containing vegetations and/or septa in 5 cases. In the remaining case, the radiological appearance showed a heterogeneous liver mass. Two patients were treated by pericystectomy and 5 by radical hepatectomy. At macroscopic examination, tumors were usually large (range: 2-24 cm) and multilocular. Histological diagnosis was: cystadenoma with mesenchymous stroma (2 cases), mucinous cystadenoma (2 cases), mucinous cystadenocarcinoma (2 cases), giant cell cystadenocarcinoma (1 case). The mean duration of follow up was 60 months. Two patients, both with cystadenocarcinomas, died after respectively, 21 and 34 months with metastatic dissemination. Five patients are alive without evidence of disease after a delay ranging from 14 to 144 months.

Radical surgical treatment of cystic hepatobiliary tumors is necessary to obtain histopathological examination of the complete specimen, which is essential for a correct evaluation of the malignant potential of the lesion, and for prolonged survival, even in cases of locally invasive tumors.