[Combined hepato-cholangiocarcinoma. Case presentation and literature review]

More than 80% of primary liver cancers are hepatocellular carcinoma. The second most frequent primary tumors of the liver are cholangiocarcinomas, accounting for about 15% of primary liver cancers. Less frequent tumor types is the combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (CHC), a rare primary liver tumor showing both hepatocellular and bile duct differentiation, and mostly represent less than 5% of primary liver cancer The histogenesis of CHC has been unclear Differentiation potential of hepatocyte and biliar epithelium is closely related to the common embryonic origin and various states of cellular differentiation. Some investigators suggested that CHC originated from intermediate type cells or progenitor cells with dual potential. A rare case of CHC in a 58-year-old female patient is presented. A critical review of the literature discussing clinicopathologic features is also presented.