Clinical and radiological characteristics of Chinese patients with hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma.
OBJECTIVE
To study clinical features, imaging findings, and prognosis of hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEHE) in Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgical Hospital and to improve the level of recognition and preoperative diagnosis of HEHE.


METHODS
This is a retrospective study. The study was conducted at Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgical Hospital in Shanghai, China from 1999 to 2012.


METHODS
Clinical data of 15 pathology-confirmed HEHE patients admitted in our hospital from 1999-2010 were collected and analyzed retrospectively.


RESULTS
Besides 7 cases of abdominal discomfort, this cohort of HEHE patients does not show common typical manifestations. Laboratory examinations found 8 low ALB/GLB cases, 3 mild anemia cases, and 1 high alanine aminotransferase case, but no abnormal a-fetoprotein, carcinoembryonic antigen, or CA19-9 cases. Plain computed tomography (CT) scanning found uneven multiple low-density lesions in most cases, dynamic enhanced CT scanning demonstrated peripheral enhancement in the hepatic arterial HA phase and more peripheral enhancement in the portal vein PV phase, and ring enhancement were detected in the delayed phase. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated low signal intensity and even lower lesion centers in T1-weighted im.ages, but slightly high signal intensity lesions and higher lesion centers in T2-weighted images. Enhanced MRI scanning showed ring enhancements but no obvious enhanced centers. Lesions were further enhanced in delayed MRI scanning. Prognosis of this cohort: 10 of these 15 patients were alive, including 4 cases with a tumor.


CONCLUSIONS
Comprehending the clinical and radiological characteristics of HEHE facilitates the level of recognition and preoperative diagnosis of this disease, and promotes surgeons to take active and appropriate surgeries.
Dr. Bin Zhu, Department of Biliary Surgery II,, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgical Hospital,, Second Military Medical University,, Shanghai 200438, China, T:+862165564166, F:+862165562400, brian1979627@yahoo.com.
Fei
F
Fan
Xiaoyu
X
Yang
Bin
B
Zhu
Yongjie
Y
Zhang
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D018323:Hemangioendothelioma, Epithelioid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000378:metabolism; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult