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Portal Vein Injection of Colorectal Cancer Organoids to Study the Liver Metastasis Stroma
Published on: September 3, 2021
Silent colon carcinoma presenting as a hepatic abscess
Andrea Giuliani1, Alessandro Caporale, Martino Demoro
1Department of Surgery Pietro Valdoni, Policlinico Umberto I, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
Tumori
|March 15, 2008
Summary
A rare case shows pyogenic liver abscess as the first sign of colon cancer. This finding suggests liver abscesses may indicate silent colon cancer, prompting further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Hepatology
- Surgical Oncology
Background:
- Colon cancer typically presents with gastrointestinal symptoms.
- Liver abscesses are usually caused by bacterial infections, not malignancy.
- Penetration of adjacent organs by colon cancer is uncommon.
Observation:
- A 50-year-old woman presented with symptoms of a pyogenic liver abscess.
- Imaging and colonoscopy revealed an infiltrative hepatic flexure colon carcinoma.
- The colon cancer had penetrated the liver, forming an abscess in segment 6.
Findings:
- This case represents a rare instance of pyogenic liver abscess as the initial manifestation of colon cancer.
- The colon cancer was infiltrative and penetrating, without distant liver metastases.
- Surgical resection of the colon and liver was successful, with no evidence of disease after eight months.
Implications:
- The presence of a pyogenic liver abscess should prompt consideration of an underlying, undiagnosed colon cancer.
- This case highlights the importance of thorough investigation for malignancy in patients presenting with liver abscesses.
- Early detection of colon cancer, even with unusual presentations, is crucial for successful treatment outcomes.
