Published online Oct 28, 2016. doi: 10.4329/wjr.v8.i10.846
Peer-review started: March 9, 2016
First decision: May 19, 2016
Revised: July 26, 2016
Accepted: August 17, 2016
Article in press: August 18, 2016
Published online: October 28, 2016
A 60-year-old man was admitted due to rectosigmoid colon cancer, and a hepatic mass was incidentally found during the staging work-up. The mass appeared cystic with a thick wall and contained multiple bizarre cord-like structures on ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The differential diagnoses included organizing abscess/hematoma, foreign body granuloma and parasite infestation. Serologic study revealed anti-sparganum antibodies. Over 4-year follow-up, the patient did not complain of symptoms, and no changes in the characteristics of the liver mass were observed. Hepatic sparganosis is rare; only two cases have been clinically reported, and no detailed radiologic description was available until now. This case report presents a detailed radiologic description of a hepatic mass that could most likely represent hepatic sparganosis.
Core tip: Hepatic sparganosis is rare; only two cases have been clinically reported, and no detailed radiologic description was available until now. This report presents radiologic findings of a presumptive case of sparganosis manifesting as a hepatic mass. This hepatic mass showed nonenhancing low attenuation mass with bizarrely arranged calcified internal cord-like structures on computed tomography, a necrotic mass with internal serpiginous tubular structures on magnetic resonance imaging, and a well-defined mixed echoic mass with multiple cord-like structures on ultrasonography. The understanding of this case will help physicians to consider the possibility of hepatic sparganosis when they encounter hepatic masses with bizarrely arranged internal serpiginous structures.