Undifferentiated sarcoma of the liver: A case study of an erythropoietin-secreting tumor

Joann M. Lin, Jonathon E. Heath, William S. Twaddell, Rudy J. Castellani*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver (UESL) is an uncommon hepatic tumor usually found in children, with rare cases reported in adults. We present a case of a 53-year-old woman with an undifferentiated sarcoma of the liver (USL), which resembles UESL, who initially presented with a markedly elevated hematocrit (61.2%). Cytogenetic studies for polycythemia vera were negative, but the patient's erythropoietin (EPO) was elevated. A computed tomography scan and subsequent partial hepatectomy revealed a well-circumscribed, partially cystic mass in the right lobe of the liver measuring 34 cm. Following surgery, the patient's EPO level and hematocrit dropped to within normal range and remained so for 1 year, at which point it rose again. A subsequent magnetic resonance imaging scan showed a liver mass at the previous resection margin, consistent with a recurrence. In this case study, we describe the first reported USL resembling an UESL that secretes EPO, which was a useful marker of tumor recurrence.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)555-558
Number of pages4
JournalInternational Journal of Surgical Pathology
Volume22
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2014

Keywords

  • embryonal sarcoma
  • erythropoietin
  • hepatic
  • undifferentiated sarcoma

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Anatomy
  • Surgery
  • Pathology and Forensic Medicine

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