Diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma / 中华肝脏病杂志

Objective: To investigate the features of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEHE) in order to improve the preoperative diagnosis rate. Methods: CEUS images of 32 pathologically-proven cases of hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma from January 2004 to August 2021 were collected. Lesions were analyzed to observe the features of enhancement mode, enhancement intensity, and distinct enhancement phases. Results: Among the 32 cases, one had a solitary lesion, 29 had multiple lesions, and two had diffuse-type lesions. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound revealed a total of 42 lesions in 32 cases. In terms of arterial phase enhancement, 18 lesions had overall enhancement, six lesions had uneven dendritic enhancement, 16 lesions had rim-like enhancement, and two lesions had just slight peripheral spot enhancement around the lesions. Among the three cases, there were multiple lesions that had overall enhancement and ring enhancement. In terms of the enhancement phase, 20 lesions showed "fast progression", 20 lesions showed "same progression", and two lesions showed "slow progression". During the late arterial or early portal venous phases with rapid washout, all lesions manifested as hypoechoic. With peaked enhanced intensity, 11 lesions had a lower enhancement intensity than the surrounding normal liver parenchyma; 11 lesions had the same enhancement degree as the surrounding normal liver parenchyma; and 20 lesions had a higher enhancement degree than the surrounding normal liver parenchyma. All 16 ring-enhancing lesions had marked hyperenhancement. In the typical enhancing lesions, four showed hyperenhancement, five showed low enhancement, and nine showed isoenhancement. In the dendrite-enhancing lesions, there were two isoenhancing and four hypoenhancing. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound delineated the boundaries of all lesions more clearly than two-dimensional ultrasound. Conclusion: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound has certain value in the diagnosis of hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma.

Hemangioendotelioma epitelioide hepático de presentación como lesión focal incidental única: reporte de caso / Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of presentation as single focal incidental lesion: case report

El hemangioendotelioma epitelioide hepático (HEH) es un tumor vascular maligno poco frecuente, de origen endotelial, de lenta progresión y de bajo grado de malignidad. Suele presentarse con mayor compromiso en mujeres, sin una etiología conocida. La clínica es variable, desde casos asintomáticos hasta dolor abdominal. Las características imagenológicas más frecuentes son lesiones nodulares hepáticas coalescentes, de tamaño variable, que muestran apariencia de "lesión en diana" en tomografía computarizada (TC) y resonancia magnética (RM), con retracción capsular. El principal diagnóstico diferencial son las metástasis hepáticas. El curso evolutivo es variable e imprevisible, con una mortalidad posterior al diagnóstico de hasta el 50% de los pacientes. Las modalidades terapeúticas incluyen la extirpación quirúrgica de la lesión y el trasplante hepático como opciones más útiles, además de la quimioterapia regional/sistémica y tratamiento inmunológico. El presente caso describe las principales características clínico-patológicas de este raro tumor, con la particularidad de su forma de presentación como lesión focal incidental única, además de la modalidad terapéutica utilizada (extirpación quirúrgica) en este tipo de lesión.

Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEH) is a very rare malignant vascular tumor of endothelial origin, of slow progression and low malignity degree. It is more common in women, of unknown etiology. Clinical manifestations of HEH are non-specific, from asymptomatic to abdominal pain. The more frequent radiological features are nodular hepatic lesions, of variable size, which show appearance of "target sign" in computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with capsular retraction. Hepatic metastases are the principal differential diagnosis. The clinical course is variable, with a mortality rate to the diagnosis of up to 50 % of the patients. The therapeutical options include the surgical extirpation (removal) of the tumor and hepatic transplant as the more useful, besides the regional /systemic chemotherapy and immunological treatment. The present case describes the principal clinical pathological characteristics of this rare tumor, with the particularity of its form of presentation as focal lesion, besides the therapeutical modality used (surgical removal) in this type of illness.

Comparative study of contrast enhanced ultrasound versus contrast enhanced MRI in hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma / 中华肝胆外科杂志

Objective To analyze and compare the imaging characteristics of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CEMRI) in diagnosing hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEHE) for improving radiological diagnostic accuracy.Methods The imaging characteristics of CEUS and dynamic CEMRI in 17 patients with histopathological diagnosis of HEHE on specimens obtained after surgical resection or fine needle biopsy were retrospectively analyzed and compared.Results On CEUS,20 lesions in 13 patients demonstrated different enhancement patterns in the arterial phase:13 lesions (65.0％) displayed gross enhancement and 7 lesions (35.0％) displayed a rimlike enhancement.Synchronous enhancement was observed in 17 lesions (85.0％) and rapid enhancement was observed in 3 lesions (15.0％).All these 20 lesions manifested as a hypoechoic mass in the portal venous and delayed phases.Other characteristics included speculated enhancement in the inner margin of the lesions and a vessel sign.On CEMRI,45 lesions (71.4％) manifested slight enhancement in the arterial phase and continuous enhancement in the portal venous and delayed phases.The remaining 18 lesions (28.6％) manifested no enhancement in the arterial phase but progressive enhancement in the portal venous and delayed phases.47 lesions (74.6％) displayed a rim-like enhancement and 16 lesions (25.4％) displayed gross enhancement.Other imaging characteristics included a halo sign,a lollipop sign,a capsular retraction sign or avessel sign.Conclusions On CEUS,characteristic manifestations of HEHE were synchronous enhancement with a quick wash-out.At peak time,the enhancement degree was equal to the normal liver parenchyma.On CEMRI,the main radiological feature of HEHE was a rim-like enhancement.In the arterial phase,the enhancement degree was not high and there was either a continuous enhancement or a progressive enhancement in the portal venous and delayed phases.Furthermore,HEHE lesions always occurred under the liver capsule and showed acapsular retraction sign,ahalo sign,a lollipop sign or a vessel sign.The combination of CEUS and CEMRI helped to improve the diagnostic rate and contributed to selection of clinical treatment.

Trasplante hepático en hemangioendotelioma epitelioide: reporte de dos casos y revisión de la literatura / Two Case Reports and a Literature Review of Liver Transplantation for Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma

El hemangioendotelioma epitelioide hepático es un tumor raro, de naturaleza agresiva y comportamiento impredecible, con una incidencia de menos de 1 caso por millón de personas al año. Se presenta especialmente en mujeres jóvenes y con síntomas no específicos como dolor abdominal y pérdida de peso. La presentación radiológica es con múltiples nódulos o masas periféricas y bilaterales, con retracción de la cápsula, en algunos casos con calcificaciones y compromiso vascular. Debe realizarse biopsia hepática para confirmar el diagnóstico y para descartar diagnósticos alternativos como angiosarcoma, hepatocarcinoma, colangiocarcinoma y metástasis. El manejo depende de la extensión al momento de presentación, aunque solo el 10% de los casos es susceptible de resección. En las últimas décadas, el trasplante hepático se ha convertido en una opción de manejo, con series de casos aisladas reportadas por centros de trasplante en el mundo. En este artículo se presenta la experiencia de 2 pacientes con diagnóstico de hemangioendotelioma epitelioide hepático sin posibilidad de resección, confirmado histológicamente, sin compromiso extrahepático y que fueron llevados a trasplante de hígado exitoso y sin recurrencia de la enfermedad a 4 y 6 años después del trasplante.

Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is a rare, aggressive and unpredictable tumor. Its incidence is less than one case per million people per year. Most commonly, it occurs in young women who exhibit nonspecific symptoms such as abdominal pain and weight loss. Radiologically it presents as multiple bilateral and peripheral nodules or masses with retraction of the capsule of the liver. In some cases there is calcification and vascular compromise. A liver biopsy should be performed to confirm the diagnosis and to rule out alternative diagnoses such as angiosarcoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma and metastasis. Management depends on the extension at presentation, but only 10% of cases are amenable to resection. Although in recent decades liver transplantation has become a management option, only studies of isolated cases reported by various transplant centers around the world have been published so far. In this article, we report our experience with two patients who were diagnosed with hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma in which there were no possibilities of resection. Diagnoses were histologically confirmed, and since the patients had no extra-hepatic compromises, liver transplantations were performed. Both were successful and without recurrence at 4 and 6 years after transplantation.

A case of primary hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma with spontaneous rupture / 대한간학회지

Primary hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is a rare neoplasm of endothelial origin. The clinical manifestations are nonspecific, ranging from complete absence of symptoms to hepatic failure and death. Spontaneous rupture of a hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is an extremely rare presentation. We present a case of primary hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma in a 65-year-old male patient with alcoholic liver cirrhosis. He was hospitalized due to epigastric pain and multiple liver masses on abdominal ultrasound. Dynamic liver CT imaging revealed multiple peripheral nodular enhanced mass lesions with delayed centripetal enhancement, and the adjacent collection of high-attenuation fluid along the liver capsule. Abdominal tapping revealed blood in the peritoneal cavity. Primary hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma with spontaneous rupture was finally diagnosed based on a histopathologic examination revealing positive immunohistochemical staining for CD34.

A Hepatic Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma Treated by Living Donor Liver Transplantation

Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEHE) is a rare a lowgrade malignant tumor of endothelial origin. The natural history of this tumor is unpredictable and it is difficult to differentiate from cholangiocarcinoma or metastatic liver tumor on imaging study. A case of HEHE treated by living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is presented. A 52-year-old man was admitted because of multiple bilobar liver masses. The histological appearances of the preoperative biopsy showed positive immunostaining for factor VIII and CD34 antigens. So it was dagrored as HEHE The tumor was unresectable because of multiple involvement of both lobes of the liver. The tumor was enlarged after 3months, which prompted the decision to perform LDLT. The right liver of the donor was transplanted to the recipient. The intraoperative & postoperative courses were uneventful. At the time of writing, the patient had survived for 13 months without any complications.