Mesenchymal hamartoma of liver in a man: comparison with cases in infants

A 53 year old man with a large mesenchymal hamartoma is reported. Only a few bile ducts could be found in the periphery of the lesion and no hepatocytes were identified within the lesion. As far as is known, this is the only adult male patient reported to date. On the basis of the reported findings of mesenchymal hamartoma in other adults, it is suggested that there could be changes in the morphology of this lesion with age: progressive loss of hepatocytes; degeneration of bile duct epithelium; and cystic change of the mesenchymal component. The haematopoietic element is considered to be part of the fetal hepatic haematopoiesis that occurs in the hamartoma.