Spontaneous rupture of hepatic metastasis from a thymoma: A case report

World J Gastroenterol. 2016 Nov 28;22(44):9860-9864. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v22.i44.9860.

Abstract

Bleeding resulting from spontaneous rupture of the liver is an infrequent but potentially life threatening complication that may be associated with an underlying liver disease. A hepatocellular carcinoma or hepatic adenoma is frequently reported is such cases. However, hemoperitoneum resulting from a hepatic metastatic thymoma is extremely rare. Here, we present a case of a 62-year-old man with hypovolemic shock induced by ruptured hepatic metastasis from a thymoma. At the first hospital admission, the patient had a 45-mm anterior mediastinal mass that was eventually diagnosed as a type A thymoma. The mass was excised, and the patient was disease-free for 6 years. He experienced sudden-onset right upper quadrant pain and was again admitted to our hospital. We noted large hemoperitoneum with a 10-cm encapsulated mass in S5/8 and a 2.3-cm nodular lesion in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. He was diagnosed with hepatic metastasis from the thymoma, and he underwent chemotherapy and surgical excision.

Keywords: Hemoperitoneum; Hepatic metastasis; Spontaneous rupture; Thymoma; Transarterial chemoembolization.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Angiography, Digital Subtraction
  • Biopsy
  • Chemotherapy, Adjuvant
  • Embolization, Therapeutic
  • Hemoperitoneum / etiology
  • Hepatectomy
  • Humans
  • Liver Neoplasms / complications
  • Liver Neoplasms / secondary*
  • Liver Neoplasms / therapy
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoadjuvant Therapy
  • Rupture, Spontaneous
  • Shock / etiology
  • Thymectomy
  • Thymoma / complications
  • Thymoma / secondary*
  • Thymoma / therapy
  • Thymus Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Thymus Neoplasms / surgery
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed
  • Treatment Outcome