Extracapsular Hepatocellular Adenoma: A Diagnostic Dilemma

Abstract

Hepatocellular adenoma (HCA) is a benign neoplasm of the hepatic parenchyma. The use of oral contraceptives (OCP) in women is the most well-established risk for the development of HCA. HCA commonly presents as an intracapsular mass of the liver but there are very few cases of extracapsular HCA. This is a case of a middle-aged female who presented to the emergency department with left shoulder pain and epigastric tenderness on physical exam. Subsequent imaging of the abdomen revealed a mass arising from the anterior wall of the stomach, with evidence of surrounding hemorrhage. The patient underwent exploratory laparotomy that revealed free blood in the peritoneum and a hemorrhagic mass arising from the stomach wall. The mass was successfully removed with no postoperative complications. Histopathological examination of the mass was consistent with an infarcted inflammatory HCA. This case illustrates this unusual presentation of a rare diagnosis.