Case Report
Copyright ©2009 The WJG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Sep 7, 2009; 15(33): 4204-4208
Published online Sep 7, 2009. doi: 10.3748/wjg.15.4204
Sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma of the liver infiltrating the inferior vena cava
Yoshito Tomimaru, Hiroaki Nagano, Shigeru Marubashi, Shogo Kobayashi, Hidetoshi Eguchi, Yutaka Takeda, Masahiro Tanemura, Toru Kitagawa, Koji Umeshita, Nobuyuki Hashimoto, Hideki Yoshikawa, Kenichi Wakasa, Yuichiro Doki, Masaki Mori
Yoshito Tomimaru, Hiroaki Nagano, Shigeru Marubashi, Shogo Kobayashi, Hidetoshi Eguchi, Yutaka Takeda, Masahiro Tanemura, Toru Kitagawa, Yuichiro Doki, Masaki Mori, Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, 565-0871, Osaka, Japan
Koji Umeshita, Division of Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, 565-0871, Osaka, Japan
Nobuyuki Hashimoto, Hideki Yoshikawa, Department of Orthopaedics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, 565-0871, Osaka, Japan
Kenichi Wakasa, Department of Pathology, Osaka City University Hospital, 1-5-7 Asahimachi, Abeno-ku, 545-8585, Osaka, Japan
Author contributions: Tomimaru Y was responsible for the review of the literature and initial preparation of the paper; Marubashi S, Kobayashi S, Eguchi H, Takeda Y, Tanemura M, Kitagawa T, Umeshita K, Hashimoto N and Yoshikawa H supported the preparation; Wakasa K decided the histopathological diagnosis; Nagano H, Doki Y and Mori M prepared the final version of the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Hiroaki Nagano MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka E-2, Suita, 565-0871, Osaka, Japan. hnagano@surg2.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
Telephone: +81-6-68793251 Fax: +81-6-68793259
Received: April 17, 2009
Revised: August 3, 2009
Accepted: August 10, 2009
Published online: September 7, 2009
Abstract

Sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma (SEF) is a rare and distinct variant of fibrosarcoma, composed of epithelioid tumor cells arranged in strands, nests, cords, or sheets embedded within a sclerotic collagenous matrix. We report a 39-year-old man with SEF of the liver, which infiltrated the inferior vena cava (IVC). The SEF of the liver was successfully resected, and the infiltrated IVC was also removed together with the liver tumor. Histopathological examination of the tumor showed typical histopathology of SEF. Immunohistochemically, the tumor was positive for vimentin. Recurrence was noted 7 mo after surgery. After chemotherapy, the recurrent tumor was resected surgically, and histopathological examination showed similar findings to those of the primary tumor. To our knowledge, this is the first report of SEF of the liver with tumor invasion of the IVC.

Keywords: Sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma; Liver tumor; Surgery; Inferior vena cava invasion; Vimentin