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World J Gastroenterol. Aug 7, 2013; 19(29): 4818-4822
Published online Aug 7, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i29.4818
Published online Aug 7, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i29.4818
Intrahepatic endometriosis as differential diagnosis: Case report and literature review
Georg Fluegen, Luisa Zacarias Foehrding, Feride Kroepil, Wolfram T Knoefel, Stefan A Topp, Department of Surgery (A), Heinrich-Heine-University and University Hospital Duesseldorf, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany
Frank Jankowiak, Institute of Pathology, Heinrich-Heine-University and University Hospital Duesseldorf, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany
Author contributions: Fluegen G designed the report and analyzed and interpreted the data; Fluegen G, Kroepil F, Knoefel WT and Topp SA were attending doctors of the patient; Topp SA performed the operation; Jankowiak F performed pathological examinations; Zacarias Foehrding L, Knoefel WT and Topp SA critically revised the report and gave important intellectual input.
Correspondence to: Dr. Stefan A Topp, Professor, Department of Surgery (A), Heinrich-Heine-University and University Hospital Duesseldorf, Moorenstr 5, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany. stefan.topp@uni-duesseldorf.de
Telephone: +49-211-8117349 Fax: +49-211-8119205
Received: February 10, 2013
Revised: April 17, 2013
Accepted: May 8, 2013
Published online: August 7, 2013
Revised: April 17, 2013
Accepted: May 8, 2013
Published online: August 7, 2013
Core Tip
Core tip: We describe the case of a 32-year-old woman who presented with non-cyclical upper right quadrant abdominal pain and a central liver cyst. Upon ultrasonic pericystectomy, the patient was diagnosed with intrahepatic endometriosis. The lack of “typical” clinical symptoms makes it challenging to diagnose extragonadal endometriosis without histopathology. Only eighteen cases of intrahepatic endometriosis have been reported in the literature, with only one reporting cyclical pain. Six of the eighteen patients were postmenopausal, and in twelve cases a previous history of endometriosis was described. Intrahepatic endometriosis should always be considered as a differential diagnosis in women of any age.