A Case of Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Solitary, Iatrogenic Recurrence in the Hepatic Falciform Ligament

Abstract

The spread of hepatocellular carcinoma to the hepatic falciform ligament is rare, and there have been no documented cases of iatrogenic and solitary recurrence in this specific ligament. This case study describes one such case, in which a radical cure was achieved after laparoscopic surgery to completely remove the affected ligament. The patient, a 68-year-old woman with chronic hepatitis C and Child-Pugh class A cirrhosis along with esophageal varices, had undergone multiple embolization treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (cT4N0M0, cStage IV A) since the age of 62 years. Following a recent increase in tumor marker levels, further investigations were conducted and revealed extrahepatic recurrence, specifically, a single recurrence in the hepatic falciform ligament. Surgical resection of the ligament was performed, and subsequent pathological analysis confirmed the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma. Two years since the surgery, no signs of recurrence have been detected.