Primary hepatic leiomyoma in a Chinese female patient without underlying disease: a case report

BACKGROUND: Primary hepatic leiomyoma (PHL) is a rare manifestation of tumors in the liver; it is mainly characterized by its origin in the mesenchymal tissue. To date, the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of this disease remain unclear, however most reported PHL patients suffer from acquired immunity deficiency syndrome (AIDS) or take immunosuppressive medications after organ transplantation. CASE PRESENTATION: In this case report we describe a rare case of PHL in a middle-aged Chinese woman who was asymptomatic with no history of hepatitis or other liver disease. She had no history of immune suppression medication therapy. In view of the benign features of the hepatic lesion, along with our implementation of the respecting the patience choices, a laparoscopic partial hepatectomy of the right lower liver was performed, which appeared to be highly effective and give a good prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical characteristics of the patient should be compared to previously reported aspects of this disease to reach a clear diagnosis. Moreover, although PHL is extremely rare, it should still be considered a possibility. Surgical intervention is effective in treating this disease. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s12893-019-0598-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.