Rare Sarcomatoid Carcinoma of the Liver in a patient with no history of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Case Report

Abstract

Sarcomatoid carcinoma is a rare malignant tumor of unknown pathogenesis characterized by poorly differentiated carcinoma tissue containing sarcoma-like differentiation of either spindle or giant cell and rarely occurs in the gastrointestinal tract and hepatobiliary-pancreatic system. Primary hepatic sarcomatoid carcinoma accounts for only 0.2 % of primary malignant liver tumors, and 1.8% of all surgically resected hepatocellular carcinomas. The majority of hepatic sarcomatoid carcinoma cases appear to occur simultaneously with hepatocellular or cholangiocellular carcinoma. The preferred treatment for hepatic sarcomatoid carcinoma is surgical resection and the overall prognosis is poor. This case depicts a 62-year-old female who underwent initial resection of a cavernous hemangioma in 2010. Seven years after her initial diagnosis, she developed what was initially felt to be local recurrence of the hemangioma but additional diagnostic workup with a liver biopsy confirmed primary hepatic sarcomatoid carcinoma.