Inflammatory pseudotumor of liver secondary to migrated fishbone - a rare cause with an unusual presentation

Abstract

A 35-year-old woman presented with a history of vague epigastric pain which lasted for one day. She had no other gastrointestinal symptoms and had an unremarkable past history and physical examination. An ultrasound scan abdomen showed a 3x3.5 cm mass in the left lobe of liver. A CT scan showed an abnormal hypodense lesion with mild enhancement in the arterial phase, with a central calcification. Complete blood count, liver function test and alpha-fetoprotein were normal. A left lateral segmentectomy was performed after adequate pre-operative assessment. The specimen contained a 3 cm long fishbone. The post-operative period was uneventful. Histopathological examination revealed chronic non-specific inflammation with fibrosis. Inflammatory pseudotumor of liver is a rare benign tumor with uncertain etiopathogenesis. Suggested etiologies include a septic or a viral origin and it can occur after migration of sharp objects, including migrated fishbone. Inflammatory pseudotumor of liver can be a diagnostic challenge and may end up in major resection.

Keywords Foreign body, fish bone, inflammatory pseudotumor