Contemporary management of benign hepatic adenoma using percutaneous radiofrequency ablation

Hepatic adenoma is a benign liver tumor that occurs primarily in women. Complete resection of the adenoma is the standard therapy. The authors present an unusual case report of a histologically proven benign hepatic adenoma occurring in an adolescent boy treated with percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA). A 13-year-old adolescent boy presenting with complaints of back pain was incidentally found to have a 3.5 x 2.5-cm solitary hyperechoic region in the liver on ultrasound. Magnetic resonance imaging scan revealed a lobular solid mass in the posterior segment of the right lobe of the liver that did not have the classic appearance of a hemangioma. An ultrasound-guided percutaneous core biopsy of the lesion was performed. Histologic examination revealed a benign liver adenoma. The tumor was treated with RFA by the interventional radiologist. Postprocedure computed tomography scans obtained at 6 weeks, 8 months, and 1 year and magnetic resonance imaging scan obtained 2 years after the procedure showed complete ablation of the tumor with no evidence of tumor recurrence. Traditionally, surgical resection has been the mainstay of therapy for the treatment of benign hepatic adenoma. In selected cases of histologically proven hepatic adenoma, minimally invasive techniques such as RFA can be safely used as an alternative to open surgical resection.