Mucinous Cystadenomas in Liver: Management and Origin

Background: Mucinous cystadenomas of the liver are rare cystic neoplasms. The aim of this study was to assess management of a consecutive series of patients who underwent laparotomy for a suspected cystadenoma or cystadenocarcinoma. Secondly, the origin of ovarian stroma (OS) in mucinous liver cystadenomas was examined during early embryonic development. Patients and Methods: Patients diagnosed with mucinous liver cystadenomas or cystadenocarcinoma between 1994 and 2009 were included. Pathology specimens of patients who had undergone resection were reviewed for OS. Furthermore, in human embryos, morphology of the peritoneal epithelium and the position of the gonads in relation to the embryonic liver, pancreas and spleen were examined. Results: 15 surgically treated patients (13 female, 2 male) with hepatic tumors were eventually diagnosed with mucinous liver cystadenomas (12) or cystadenocarcinomas (3). OS was present in all female patients with mucinous cystadenoma or cystadenocarcinoma. The 2 male patients were rediagnosed as intraductal pap illary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) or cystadenocarcinoma with features of IPMN. Published online: April 1, 2010 T.M. van Gulik, MD Department of Surgery, Academic Medical Center Meibergdreef 9, NL–1105 AZ Amsterdam (The Netherlands) Tel. +31 20 566 5570, Fax +31 20 697 6621 E-Mail t.m.vangulik @ amc.uva.nl © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel 0253–4886/10/0271–0019$26.00/0 Accessible online at: www.karger.com/dsu D ow nl oa de d by : 54 .7 0. 40 .1 1 11 /2 0/ 20 17 1 0: 51 :5 7 P M