title: Chest wall metastasis from unknown primary site of hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: Previous reports of a solitary metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma have been rare. Because this tumor has a different treatment modality and prognosis, an accurate differential diagnosis is essential. Here we report a rare case of a solitary chest wall metastasis from unknown primary site of hepatocellular carcinoma. It involves a 51-year-old man who was admitted to our hospital because of a palpable left upper chest wall mass. The mass was resected and pathologic examination confirmed a diagnosis of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite our investigation, no evidence was found that indicated the primary origin of the hepatocellular carcinoma. Four months later, the patient was admitted again because of spinal cord compression at the third and fourth thoracic vertebrae. Emergent decompressive laminectomy was performed and microscopic features revealed the same pathology as the initial chest wall mass resected 4 months earlier. After one year, a follow-up abdominal computed tomography (CT) still revealed no evidence of primary hepatocellular carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yil-Sik
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Hyun
authors.forename: Ho-Soon
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Joong-Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Dae-Won
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Jun
authors.forename: Hang-Lak
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Oh-Young
authors.initials: OY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Byung-Chul
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Min-Ho
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dong-Hoo
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Choon-Shuk
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Kee
authors.forename: Jung-Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Moon-Hyang
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009382:Neoplasms, Unknown Primary / Q000473:pathology*; D013899:Thoracic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D035441:Thoracic Wall / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed