Ectopic liver tissue adherent to the gallbladder serosa: two cases report from Syria

Ectopic liver tissue is an exceedingly rare anomaly in which the hepatic tissue is present extrahepatic site and has no connection to the true liver. Most cases of ectopic liver tissue were asymptomatic and discovered by an accident during abdominal surgery or autopsy.

Case 1 involved a 52-year-old man who was admitted to the hospital due to an abdominal grip in the right hypochondrium and epigastrium for 1 month. The patient underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. During the gross examination, a well-circumscribed brownish nodule with a smooth outer surface, located at the fundus region was found. Case 2 involved a 40-year-old man with 2 months history of epigastric pain radiating to the right shoulder. Calculus chronic cholecystitis was diagnosed by ultrasound. The patient undergoes elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy. A gross inspection showed a small nodule attached to the serosa of the gallbladder. Microscopically, both cases revealed ectopic liver tissue.

Ectopic liver tissue is an uncommon entity that occurs during the embryological development of the liver and can be found below and above the diaphragm, especially the gallbladder. Histologically, it usually has the normal architecture of the liver. Although ectopic liver tissue is an exceptional finding, pathologists should be aware of it because it has a high risk of transformation into malignancy.

Hepatic choristoma is a rare failure of embryological liver development. It should be removed when recognized and examined histologically to rule out malignancy.