A case of liver metastasis of rectal cancer with intrabiliary tumor growth required differentiation from intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Abstract

Liver metastasis is found in approximately 20%-30% of patients with advanced colorectal cancer, and is an important prognostic factor of colorectal cancers. Liver metastasis of colorectal cancer often grows to form a tumor and rarely shows intrabiliary tumor growth.
A 72-year-old man who had undergone low anterior resection for Stage II rectal cancer two years earlier was pointed out an increased level of CEA at another hospital. Close examinations performed in our hospital revealed a liver tumor in the S4 of the liver. The tumor was preoperatively diagnosed as intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with intrabiliary tumor growth and hepatic resection was performed. The histopathological diagnosis, however, was liver metastasis of rectal cancer. We here present this case.