A Case of Hemoperitoneum Caused by Spontaneous Rupture of Metastatic Omental Hepatocellular Carcinoma

ABSTRACT

It is known that most of the extrahepatic metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma occurs through the blood stream and the most frequent target organ is the lung. Intraperitoneal metastasis via the lymphatics is rare (2~16%) and this has been largely demonstrated by laparosopy or on the autopsy findings. Especially, omental metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma has only been rarely reported on. A 62-year-old male patient who underwent TACE for hepatocellular carcinoma was admitted for an emergency operation for hemoperitoneum. On the operative findings, there were two 1.5 by 3 cm-sized masses in the omentum and one of them was ruptured and bleeding. The masses were diagnosed as metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma on the pathologic examination. The patient recovered and is being followed.