Case Report
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2019. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Hepatol. Aug 27, 2019; 11(8): 656-662
Published online Aug 27, 2019. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v11.i8.656
Fascioliasis presenting as colon cancer liver metastasis on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography: A case report
Sami Akbulut, Egemen Ozdemir, Emine Samdanci, Selver Unsal, Murat Harputluoglu, Sezai Yilmaz
Sami Akbulut, Sezai Yilmaz, Liver Transplant Institute, Inonu University, Malatya 44280, Turkey
Egemen Ozdemir, Department of Surgery, Inonu University Faculty of Medicine, Malatya 44280, Turkey
Emine Samdanci, Department of Pathology, Inonu University Faculty of Medicine, Malatya 44280, Turkey
Selver Unsal, Department of Nursing Service, Liver Transplant Institute, Inonu University, Malatya 44280, Turkey
Murat Harputluoglu, Department of Gastroenterology, Inonu University Faculty of Medicine, Malatya 44280, Turkey
Author contributions: Akbulut S, and Ozdemir E designed the report; Akbulut S and Unsal S collected the patient’s clinical data; Samdanci E provided histopathological information; Akbulut S and Yilmaz S performed surgical procedure; Harputluoglu M performed endoscopic procedure; Akbulut S, Ozdemir E and Yilmaz S analyzed the data and wrote the paper.
Informed consent statement: All study participants provided informed written consent prior to study enrollment.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open-Access: This is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Sami Akbulut, MD, Associate Professor, Liver Transplant Institute, Inonu University, Elazig Yolu 10. Km, Malatya 44280, Turkey. akbulutsami@gmail.com
Telephone: +90-422-3410660 Fax: +90-422-3410036
Received: April 29, 2019
Peer-review started: April 29, 2019
First decision: June 3, 2019
Revised: June 14, 2019
Accepted: August 20, 2019
Article in press: August 20, 2019
Published online: August 27, 2019
Processing time: 117 Days and 10.5 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Fascioliasis is caused by watercress and similar freshwater plants or drinking water or beverages contaminated with metacercariae. Fascioliasis can radiologically mimic many primary or metastatic liver tumors. Herein, we aimed to present the treatment process of a patient with fascioliasis mimicking colon cancer liver metastasis.

CASE SUMMARY

A 35-year-old woman who underwent right hemicolectomy due to cecum cancer was referred to our clinic for management of colon cancer liver metastasis. Both computed tomography and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography revealed several tumoral lesions localized in the right lobe of the liver. After a 6-course FOLFOX (folinic acid, fluorouracil, oxaliplatin) and bevacizumab regimen, the hypermetabolic state on both liver and abdominal lymph nodes continued, and chemotherapy was extended to a 12-course regimen. The patient was referred to our institute when the liver lesions were detected to be larger on dynamic liver magnetic resonance imaging 6 weeks after completion of chemotherapy. Right hepatectomy was performed, and histopathological examination was compatible with fascioliasis. Fasciola hepatica IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was positive. The patient was administered two doses of triclabendazole (10 mg/kg/dose) 24 h apart. During the follow-up period, dilatation was detected in the common bile duct, and Fasciola parasites were extracted from the common bile duct by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Triclabendazole was administered to the patient after ERCP.

CONCLUSION

Parasitic diseases, such as those caused by Fasciola hepatica, should be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis of primary or metastatic liver tumors, such as colorectal cancer liver metastasis, in patients living in endemic areas.

Keywords: Colon cancer liver metastasis; Fasciola hepatica; Positron emission tomography; Misdiagnosis; Case report

Core tip: Human fascioliasis is caused by drinking water or freshwater plants (watercress, etc.) contaminated with metacercariae. Fascioliasis may remain asymptomatic for many years and is usually detected incidentally during radiological examinations for other reasons. Radiologically, fascioliasis can be confused with many other benign and malignant hepatobiliary diseases. One of the most common malignant liver diseases mimicking fascioliasis includes colon cancer liver metastasis. We aimed to present the diagnosis and treatment process in a patient with fascioliasis radiologically mimicking colon cancer liver metastasis.