[A case report of surgical treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma with a Hugely swollen lymph node that showed high FDG uptake].

ABSTRACT

A 74-year-old man with chronic hepatitis C was diagnosed with liver tumors. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) and ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (EOB-MRI) revealed hepatocellular carcinomas(HCC) in segments 8 (S8)and 5/8 (S5/8), and detected a lymph node (LN) swelling of 75 mm diameter in the posterior aspect of the pancreatic head. Fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) was positive for the swollen LN (SUVmax 12.3), but negative for the intrahepatic HCCs. The alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II (PIVKA-II) values were elevated, and soluble interleukin- 2 receptor levels were also increased (1,440 U/mL). Based on a diagnosis of HCCs with either LN metastasis, or with malignant lymphoma, partial hepatectomy (S8 and S5/8), lymphadenectomy (#13LN), and cholecystectomy were performed. Histopathological examination indicated well differentiated HCC in S5/8, and moderately to poorly differentiated HCC in S8, while poorly differentiated HCC was detected in the LN. Therefore, the final diagnosis was HCCs with metastasis to #13LN originating from the HCC in S8. At present, the patient is alive without further extrahepatic recurrence. The extent of FDG accumulation is related to the degree of differentiation of the HCC; furthermore, there are discrepancies between the FDG uptake in intrahepatic and extrahepatic lesions.