Pseudocirrhosis

Discussion:

A known case of metastatic breast cancer on chemotherapy with no history of liver disease showing;

  • Pretreatment abdominal CT show liver with normal morphology with the small hypodense liver lesion.
  • A follow-up study showing after 33 months show newly developed multiple innumerable hypodense focal lesions of variable sizes in both lobes likely metastatic deposits and after that, the patient starting chemotherapy.
  • After 11 months from starting chemotherapy showing; a progressive course in the liver, as shrunken the liver and discrete lobulation and nodular the hepatic surface.

Pseudocirrhosis is a radiologic term that describes the serial development of diffuse hepatic nodularity caused by chemotherapy for hepatic metastasis, especially from breast cancer.

It is characterized by morphologic changes mimicking liver cirrhosis, It is most common with breast cancer, but has also been reported to occur with other cancers, and is a potential cause of portal hypertension and hepatic failure. However, the patients with pseudocirrhosis do not unusually show the clinical features of true liver cirrhosis.

Pseudocirrhosis is thought to be caused by two factors

  • hepatic irregularity/retraction from a decrease in the size of extensive metastatic disease in the liver
  • regenerative nodules, altering the liver surface
    Create a new playlist
Loading...