Case Report
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Jul 6, 2023; 11(19): 4640-4647
Published online Jul 6, 2023. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i19.4640
CK5/6-positive, P63-positive lymphoepithelioma-like hepatocellular carcinoma: A case report and literature review
Hong-Tao Tang, Wei Lin, Wei-Qiao Zhang, Jun-Lin Qian, Kai Li, Kun He
Hong-Tao Tang, Wei Lin, Wei-Qiao Zhang, Jun-Lin Qian, Kai Li, Graduate School of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang 524002, Guangdong Province, China
Hong-Tao Tang, Kun He, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zhongshan People’s Hospital, Zhongshan 528400, Guangdong Province, China
Author contributions: Tang HT analysed the relevant literature and wrote the manuscript; He K led the whole process, including the operation, and directed the writing of the manuscript; Lin W and Zhang WQ participated in the data collection; Qian JL was in charge of the long-term follow-up of the patient.
Supported by Zhongshan Bureau of Science and Technology, No. 2017B1044; and No. 2017SYF04.
Informed consent statement: Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for the publication of this report and any accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report that they have no conflicts of interest related to 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: Kun He, MD, PhD, Director, Doctor, Professor, Chief Physician, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zhongshan People’s Hospital, No. 2 Sunwen East Road, Shiqi District, Zhongshan 528400, Guangdong Province, China. hekun80@126.com
Received: January 15, 2023
Peer-review started: January 15, 2023
First decision: February 1, 2023
Revised: February 11, 2023
Accepted: June 9, 2023
Article in press: June 9, 2023
Published online: July 6, 2023
Processing time: 166 Days and 7 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC), a rare and unique variant of liver cancer, can be divided into lymphoepithelioma-like hepatocellular carcinoma and lymphoepithelioma-like intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Dense lymphocytic infiltration is its characteristic pathological feature. In recent years, the number of reported cases of this type has increased each year. Studies have shown that lymphoepithelioma-like cholangiocarcinoma occurs more frequently in Asian women; LELC is associated with Epstein–Barr virus infection of liver cells of epithelial origin. Existing research shows that the prognosis of this tumour is good.

CASE SUMMARY

A 38-year-old female patient was hospitalized after 3 mo of abdominal pain and nausea. She had been infected with hepatitis B virus more than 10 years prior. The patient was hospitalized on January 21, 2022. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a 36 mm × 28 mm mass under the envelope of the left inner lobe of the liver. No metastasis of lymph nodes or other organs was observed. After left hemihepatectomy, biopsy and immunohistochemistry yielded a final diagnosis of lymphoepithelial hepatocellular carcinoma. After 12 mo of outpatient follow-up and chemotherapy, no tumour metastases were found on the latest computed tomography examination.

CONCLUSION

Herein, the patient was treated surgically and then followed up as an outpatient for 12 mo. This case will further expand our overall knowledge of the diagnosis and treatment of this rare tumor.

Keywords: Liver cancer; Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Epstein–Barr virus; Literature review; Case report

Core Tip: Primary hepatocellular lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) is a rare disease. We review the relevant literature, and only a few clinical cases have been reported worldwide. The patient in this case report was eventually diagnosed with primary hepatocellular LELC based on her family history, magnetic resonance imaging scans, and immunohistochemical findings. Herein, we summarize and discuss this case and review the pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of primary hepatocellular LELC.