Laparoscopic treatment of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor in liver: A case report

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor in the liver (IMTL) is a rare borderline mesenchymal tumor. Neither clinical symptoms nor laboratory tests have absolute specificity for the diagnosis of IMTL, and imaging also lacks obvious specificity. Although there are sporadic reports of recurrence after surgical treatment, surgical resection is the mainstay of treatment. CASE SUMMARY: A 29-year-old man complained of general weakness, slight discomfort in the upper abdomen, with a history of upper respiratory tract infection for 1 wk before admission. Plain and enhanced upper abdominal magnetic resonance imaging showed a mass in liver segments II and III (48 mm × 53 mm). He was treated by laparoscopic left lateral segmentectomy. Postoperative pathological examination with hematoxylin and eosin staining suggested that the mass in liver segments II and III was IMTL. During 21 mo postoperative follow-up, no obvious residual or recurrent lesions were observed. CONCLUSION: There is a risk of malignant degeneration in IMTL. The principal choice of treatment is laparoscopic left lateral segmentectomy.