Haematogenous abdominal wall metastasis of differentiated, alpha-fetoprotein-negative hepatocellular carcinoma after previous antiandrogen therapy within a site of lipoma manifestation since childhood

Abstract

Background: Cases with subcutaneous metastasis of differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma to the abdominal wall without prior seeding as a consequence of local interventions with a negative or normal alpha-fetoprotein level in the serum are extremely rare.Case report: This is the first report of a case with AFP-negative, differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis to the abdominal wall within a pre-existing subcutaneous lipoma since childhood after antiandrogen therapy with leuprorelin and buserelin acetate for prostate cancer without seeding.Methods: Clinical features including histology, immunohistochemistry, clinical course and surgical approach are presented.Results: Histological examination revealed a hepatocellular carcinoma with a trabecular and pseudoglandular growth pattern with moderately atypical hepatocytes with multifocal bile formation within a lipoma. The postoperative course of abdominal wall reconstruction with a monocryl-prolene mesh and a local flap after potentially curative resection was uncomplicated.Discussion and conclusion: It may be that previous antiandrogen treatment for prostate carcinoma contributed to the fact that our patient developed alpha-fetoprotein-negative and androgen receptor-negative subcutaneous abdominal wall metastasis within a pre-existing lipoma since childhood. © 2012 Zachau et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.