Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2007; 55(4): 277-278
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-924624
Case Reports

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Supradiaphragmatic Ectopic Liver: Delayed Traumatic Hepatic Hernia Mimics Pulmonary Tumor

C.-S. Huang1 , W.-H. Hsu1 , C.-Y. Hsia2
  • 1Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
  • 2Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
Further Information

Publication History

Received June 7, 2006

Publication Date:
04 June 2007 (online)

Introduction

In the literature, ectopic liver (EL) has been described in supradiaphragmatic locations such as the thoracic cavities, the lung or even the intrapericardium. Intrathoracic EL is usually asymptomatic and found incidentally on chest roentgenogram as a radiopaque mass. Malignant changes in the ectopic liver have also been described without a primary lesion in the mother liver. Eleven cases of intrathoracic EL have been reported in the literature so far; in all of these cases, a definitive diagnosis could only be made with surgery. In this report, we review the mechanism of the supradiaphragmatic ectopic liver and recommend a better approach for this rare disorder.

References

  • 1 Mendoza A, Voland J, Wolf P, Benirschke K. Supradiaphragmatic liver in the lung.  Arch Pathol Lab Med. 1986;  110 1085-1086
  • 2 Le Roux B T. Heterotopic intrathoracic liver.  Thorax. 1961;  16 68-69
  • 3 Iber T, Helsinki R R. Intrapulmonary ectopic liver.  J Pediatr Surg. 1999;  34 1425-1426
  • 4 Hegarty M M, Bryer J V, Angorn I B, Baker L W. Delayed presentation of traumatic diaphragmatic hernia.  Ann Surg. 1987;  188 229-233
  • 5 Stewart W H, Stein A. Roentgen ray study of abdominal organs following oxygen inflation of the peritoneal cavity.  Am J Roentgenol. 1919;  6 533

MD, Associated Professor Wen-Hu Hsu

Department of Surgery
Division of Thoracic Surgery
Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine

201, Section 2, Shih-Pai Road

Taipei

Taiwan, Republic of China

Fax: +88 62 28 73 14 88

Email: whhsu@vghtpe.gov.tw