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©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Hepatol. Aug 27, 2025; 17(8): 108443
Published online Aug 27, 2025. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v17.i8.108443
Published online Aug 27, 2025. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v17.i8.108443
Ectopic adrenal gland in the liver leading to a misdiagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma: A case report
Min-Qiu Qin, Department of Health and Rehabilitation, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, Guangdong Province, China
Yi-Peng Zhao, Department of Pathology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, Guangdong Province, China
Ju-Ping Xie, Department of General Surgery, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen 518107, Guangdong Province, China
Author contributions: Qin MQ and Xie JP analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript; Zhao YP provided and analyzed pathology images; Xie JP contributed to the investigation (clinical management, and follow-up).
Informed consent statement: Informed written consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this report and any accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
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 article 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 NonCommercial (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: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Ju-Ping Xie, MMed, Department of General Surgery, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 628 Zhenyuan Road, Guangming (New) Dis
Received: April 15, 2025
Revised: May 26, 2025
Accepted: July 14, 2025
Published online: August 27, 2025
Processing time: 135 Days and 4.1 Hours
Revised: May 26, 2025
Accepted: July 14, 2025
Published online: August 27, 2025
Processing time: 135 Days and 4.1 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This rare case describes ectopic adrenal tissue in the liver mimicking malignancy in a 53-year-old male with adrenal adenoma. Imaging revealed a hepatic lesion prompting resection; histopathology confirmed adrenal ectopia, excluding malignancy. It underscores adrenal ectopia as a critical differential in liver masses, particularly with adrenal disorders, to prevent misdiagnosis. Multidisciplinary evaluation integrating imaging and histology is essential. The case enhances understanding of adrenal ectopia’s pathophysiology and highlights its consideration in adrenal-hepatic pathologies, optimizing diagnostic accuracy and treatment outcomes.