title: Cystic tumors of the liver: on the problems of diagnostic criteria.
abstract: We report on three cases of cystic neoplasms of the liver with mucinous epithelium. Case 1 showed a low-grade cystic neoplasm with ovarian-like stroma (OS). Case 2 showed a low-grade cystic neoplasm without OS, and case 3 showed a high-grade cystic neoplasm without OS. In all three cases, bile duct communication (BDC) was absent. Currently, pancreatic mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN) and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas (IPMN) are clearly distinguishable. However, MCN of the liver and intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct (IPN-B) are not as easily distinguished. According to the latest WHO classification (2010), these conditions are classed as typical MCN of the liver, MCNs of the liver without OS, or IPN-Bs without BDC. The clinicopathological differences between MCN without OS and IPN-B without BDC are controversial. We present three cases describing these presentations and discuss the difficulties related to the diagnostic criteria used to distinguish between MCN of the liver and IPN-B.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomic Pathology, Japan.
authors.forename: Yohei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mano
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aishima
authors.forename: Nobuhiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Akinobu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taketomi
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shirabe
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maehara
authors.forename: Yoshinao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oda
mesh_terms: D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading