A case of β-catenin-positive hepatocellular adenoma with MR imaging sign of diffuse intratumoral fat deposition

Abstract

Hepatocellular adenoma (HCA) is a rare primary benign tumor of the liver, which occurs predominantly in young and middle-aged women. Recently, the subclassification of HCA was proposed by the Bordeaux group. Subsequently, characteristic radiological and clinical features have been revealed in each HCA subtype. According to the previous literature, diffuse intratumoral fat deposition is a very common finding in hepatocyte nuclear factor 1α-negative HCA, but this finding has been reported in β-catenin-positive HCA in the literature for only one case. In this case report, we report the second case of β-catenin-positive HCA with MR imaging sign of diffuse intratumoral fat deposition, confirmed immunohistologically on the basis of a surgical specimen. In addition, our case showed hypovascularity and isointensity on the hepatobiliary phase which have been reported as characteristic findings in β-catenin-positive HCA. Diffuse intratumoral fat deposition can be observed in β-catenin-positive HCA, which has a greater probability of malignant transformation than other types of HCA.

Hepatocyte nuclear factor 1α-inactivated hepatocellular adenomas exhibit high18F-fludeoxyglucose uptake associated with glucose-6-phosphate transporter inactivation

“…Regarding the imaging findings associated with HCA, several reports have described diffuse intratumoral fat deposition as a relatively specific MRI feature of H-HCA, 4 although a case of diffuse fat deposition in another HCA subtype was also reported. 28 Therefore, a definite differential diagnosis of each HCA subtype is not considered possible using only conventional imaging modalities. Although FDG-PET might have clinical value in the discrimination of H-HCA from other HCA subtypes, care should be taken to avoid the misdiagnosis of H-HCA as a malignant tumour because of the high FDG uptake during PET studies.…”

Welcome to the JSAR radiologic–pathologic correlation section

“…Morton A. Meyers, the previous Editor-in-Chief of Abdominal Imaging, and Dr. C. Daniel Johnson, the current Editor-in-Chief of Abdominal Imaging/Radiology, understood the merit of publication of this JSAR's Radiologic-Pathologic Correlation, although most medical journals had given up to publish case reports because of their relatively low citation. Five papers of the JSAR Radiologic-Pathologic Correlation Section first appeared in a group in Abdominal Imaging in 2015 [7][8][9][10][11] and three appeared independently [12][13][14]. This is the second appearance of 6 papers in a group.…”