Primary adenosquamous carcinoma of the liver: case report

We describe a case of adenosquamous carcinoma of the liver, including treatment for the recurrence. A 67-year-old man with prolonged high fever was diagnosed with a mass lesion in the left lobe of the liver seen by imaging studies. That mass lesion was histologically diagnosed as cholangiocarcinoma by needle biopsy. Left hepatic lobectomy was performed, and a tumor was found that measured 8.0 x 7.0 x 6.0 cm. It was a yellowish white solid mass without macroscopic invasion of the intrahepatic bile duct. Histological examination of the resected specimen revealed both adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. The postoperative course was uneventful, but abdominal computed tomography 3 months after operation revealed seven masses in the remnant liver. We diagnosed recurrence of the tumor, and intrahepatic arterial infusion of cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil was begun. A partial remission resulted. Progression-free survival after chemotherapy lasted 2 months. However, the tumor markers and remnant tumor size increased gradually 9 months after the operation, and he died 14 months after surgery. We also review 41 cases of adenosquamous carcinoma of the liver reported in the Japanese and English language literature, including the present case.