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De-Novo Hepatic Angiosarcoma in a Liver Transplant Recipient
Alp Serhat Kahveci1, Aysha Aslam2, Yiqin Xiong3
1Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, USA.
Transplantation Proceedings
|April 26, 2025
Summary
This case report details a rare de novo hepatic angiosarcoma in a liver transplant recipient. The aggressive tumor presented with liver enzyme elevation and metastasis, leading to palliative chemotherapy and patient death.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Hepatology
- Transplantation Surgery
Background:
- Angiosarcoma (AS) is a rare, aggressive vascular soft tissue tumor.
- De novo hepatic angiosarcoma post-liver transplantation (LT) is unprecedented in medical literature.
- Immunosuppression regimens may influence oncogenesis in transplant recipients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the first described case of de novo hepatic angiosarcoma following liver transplantation.
- To highlight the clinical presentation, diagnostic challenges, and management of this rare complication.
Main Methods:
- Case presentation of a 72-year-old male liver transplant recipient.
- Clinical evaluation including laboratory tests (liver enzymes), imaging (ultrasound, MRI, PET/CT).
- Histopathological diagnosis via core biopsy, confirming high-grade hepatic angiosarcoma.
Main Results:
- The patient presented with cholestatic liver enzyme elevation, abdominal pain, and ascites.
- Imaging revealed a large central hepatic mass with vascular invasion and metastatic disease.
- The tumor was diagnosed as high-grade hepatic angiosarcoma.
Conclusions:
- Hepatic angiosarcoma can develop de novo after liver transplantation, representing a critical, previously undescribed complication.
- Early diagnosis and multidisciplinary management are crucial, though prognosis remains poor.
- This case underscores the need for vigilance regarding rare malignancies in immunosuppressed transplant patients.
