Isolated right ventricular metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma induced by epithelial–mesenchymal transition: a case report

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that metastasizes to the right ventricle has rarely been reported. An important link between epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the invasion and metastasis of cancer cells has recently been demonstrated. However, there are few reports on the relationship between HCC metastasized to the heart and EMT. CASE SUMMARY: We here report the case of a 74-year-old woman who had type C HCC referred to our hospital with general fatigue due to a right ventricular tumour diagnosed at a general hospital. Anticoagulation therapy was done, but the mass had rapidly grown. We performed surgical resection of the mass. Histopathological examination revealed that the tumour was diagnosed as a poorly differentiated HCC metastasis induced by EMT. DISCUSSION: Isolated metastasis of HCC to the right ventricle is extremely rare. The HCC with EMT has a potentially high risk of metastasizing to the heart and other organs, and the prognosis is poor.