Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the liver: a case report

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the liver is an uncommon lesion of uncertain pathogenesis that has a unique histological appearance. Symptomatology and clinical findings in most cases suggest malignancy, and despite the advances in imaging techniques, the preoperative diagnosis of this tumor is difficult. We describe herein a case of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the liver with a review of the literature. A mass occupying the right lobe of the liver was excised in a 48-year-old woman, who previously presented with weakness, fever, progressive weight loss, and right upper abdominal pain. The lesion was an unencapsulated light brown tumor (largest diameter 6 cm) without necrosis or hemorrhage. The characteristic histopathological features and the presence of spindle cells expressing smooth muscle actin and anaplastic lymphoma kinase allowed the diagnosis of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor. The present case and the review revealed that inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the liver is not limited to younger age groups and males. Moreover, the rare occurrence of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the liver and the lack of diagnostic clinical signs and symptoms do not exclude consideration of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor in the differential diagnosis of liver tumors, especially in patients with tumor markers in normal ranges.