title: Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the liver: a cohort study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a rare condition. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics and surgical outcomes for IMT of the liver in our large cohort of patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 2001 to December 2007, all patients with a pathological diagnosis of IMT of the liver who underwent partial hepatectomy were retrospectively analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the study period, 64 patients underwent partial hepatectomy for IMT of the liver in our tertiary referral center. The commonest clinical presentation was abdominal pain (53%), followed by fever (41%); 15.6% of patients were asymptomatic. Preoperative diagnosis of IMT was suspected in only five patients (8%). The indications for surgery included suspicion of malignancy (60.9%), uncertain diagnosis (40.6%), symptomatic disease (26.6%), and spontaneous rupture (3.1%). The postoperative complication rate was low (17.2%). There was no hospital mortality. After a median follow-up of 30 months, no patient developed recurrence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although there are various treatment options for IMT of the liver, surgical resection for good risk patients is preferred.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 200438, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Eric C H
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Wen-Ming
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Cong
authors.forename: Ai-Jun
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Si-Yuan
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Ze-Ya
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Wei-Ping
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Wan Yee
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.forename: Meng-Chao
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D005260:Female; D006104:Granuloma, Plasma Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome