Peritoneal implanted hepatocellular carcinoma with rupture after TACE presented as acute appendicitis

Abstract

We are reporting a rare case of peritoneal implanted hepatocellular carcinoma with rupture after transarterial chemoembolization mimicking acute appendicitis. A 45-year-old male patient presented with fever and manifestations of acute appendicitis. He received transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma two months before. Emergent exploratory laparotomy revealed a normal appendix, a ruptured nodule located at the serosal surface of the terminal ileum with hemoperitoneum, and ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma at the junction of segments 4 and 8 of the liver. There was no peritoneal carcinomatosis, direct invasion to the surrounding tissue, or lymph node involvement. Postoperative course was uneventful. Histopathological examination of the resected nodule revealed metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma.