Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma masquerading as the HELLP syndrome (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count) in pregnancy: case report

A case report of a pregnant woman diagnosed with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) complicated by opioid tolerance

Background

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a rare form of cancer that has a poor prognosis with a 5-year survival rate for localized disease of approximately 15%.

Case presentation

This is a report of a case of cholangiocarcinoma (CC) diagnosed in pregnancy in a patient with an opioid use disorder. The patient is a 37-year-old G7P2042 who presented at 29 weeks of gestation with acute right upper quadrant pain along with jaundince, and changes to her urine and stool. Her workup revealed CC, a rare diagnosis in pregnancy. Approximately 6 months after the diagnosis of ICC the patient died.

Conclusion

Along with the management of this cancer in pregnancy, this case was further complicated by opioid tolerance and the difficulty in controlling the patient’s pain in pregnancy.

Atypical presentation of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma---Fever and ascites in a postpartum lady

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is an uncommon malignancy which usually occurs in the 7^th decade. Here we present a postpartum patient with fever, hepatomegaly, and ascites, who was diagnosed to have metastatic intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Recurrent Cholangiocarcinoma in Pregnancy: A Case Report

Hepatobiliary malignancies during pregnancy are extremely rare and portend a poor prognosis. There are only seven published cases of cholangiocarcinoma in an obstetrical patient, all are cases of primary cholangiocarcinoma (1-7). Herein, we describe the first case of recurrent cholangiocarcinoma during pregnancy. The patient did not receive chemotherapy during pregnancy and required prolonged hospitalizations for nutritional and intensive medical support. She delivered preterm, at 30 ^2/7 weeks gestation, after developing pre-eclampsia with severe features. The infant was healthy, with no malformations, and currently exhibits no neurological or behavioral sequelae at 8months of age. We discuss themanagement considerations inherent to this complex clinical scenario including metastatic disease severity, ethical considerations, and palliative care treatment options.

Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma Masquerading as Acute Fatty Liver of Pregnancy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an uncommon cancer and accounts only for 3% of all gastrointestinal malignancies. In this report, we present a case of an intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma masquerading as acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP). A 38-year-old female who is 36-week pregnant presented with a 1-week history of headache, nausea, vomiting, and right upper abdominal pain, along with hepatomegaly. Laboratory investigations were remarkable for mild leukocytosis, hyperbilirubinemia, proteinuria, and elevated transaminases and prothrombin time. Ultrasound of the liver revealed hepatomegaly, fatty infiltration, and a right hepatic lobe mass. Based on the overall picture, AFLP was suspected, and the patient underwent delivery by Cesarean section. However, bilirubin and liver enzyme levels gradually increased after delivery. MRI revealed a large dominant hepatic mass along with multiple satellite lesions in both lobes. Biopsy revealed the presence of intrahepatic CCA. CCA presenting during pregnancy is extremely rare with only 9 other cases reported in the literature. Therefore, the signs and symptoms can be easily confused with other more common disorders that occur during pregnancy.

Selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) with yttrium-90 microspheres for unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Unresectableintrahepaticcholangiocarcinoma has a very poor prognosis despite various treatment options. The case presented describes the diagnostic challenges of a young pregnant woman with unresectable cholangiocarcinoma. The current treatment options for cholangiocarcinoma have limited evidence and high recurrence rate. Given the young age of this patient, selective internal radiotherapy was trialled with traditional chemotherapy with a clinically significant result. This case highlights the delays when diagnosing cholangiocarcinoma in younger patients and the possibility of selective internal radiation therapy in combination with chemotherapy as a potential first-line treatment for a complete response in unresectable disease.

Administration of Gemcitabine for Metastatic Adenocarcinoma during Pregnancy: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

We present the case of a 38-year-old woman diagnosed with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the biliary tract in the 18th week of pregnancy. Chemotherapy based on cisplatin and gemcitabine was administered, reaching disease stabilization until late-preterm delivery at 35 + 0 weeks of gestation. The infant was healthy and showed no malformations. Her head circumference was small, yet no neurological and behavioral defects have been detected. Development was normal during 14 months of follow-up. We discuss the implications of metastatic cancer in pregnancy with focus on therapeutic options for metastatic adenocarcinoma of the biliary tract. In this context, available data for the active regimens in biliary tract cancers-platinum compounds and gemcitabine-are discussed. This report is the fourth in the literature detailing the application of gemcitabine during pregnancy and the first presenting longer term follow-up, complementing available evidence that gemcitabine-based regimens are feasible in this situation.

Pancreatic recurrence of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: Case report and review of the literature

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas (ICC) are malignant tumors arising from the intrahepatic bile ducts that frequently recur after resection. The main sites of recurrence are the remnant liver, lymph nodes and lungs. Metastasis to the pancreas has never been reported. This case describes a 24-year-old woman who underwent a hepatic lobectomy in 2008 for an ICC. Almost 4 years after her surgery she presented with a pancreatic mass and lung nodules. An endoscopic ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration of the pancreatic mass and a video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery resection for the lung nodules were performed for diagnostic purposes. Pathological analyses of specimens revealed recurrence of her primary ICC in both pancreas and lungs. Subsequently, the patient received systemic chemotherapy. The patient is currently off chemotherapy and remains well. Moreover, she is pregnant. This is the first report of an ICC with pancreatic metastasis.

BILIARY AND PANCREATIC DISEASE IN PREGNANCY

Pregnancy is a physiological condition that affects all organs. Diseases unrelated to pregnancy may present coincidentally during pregnancy or may be exacerbated by pregnancy, and may increase maternal and/or fetal morbidity or mortality. Compared with many other systems, the changes within the biliary tree and pancreas are relatively minimal. However, pregnancy is associated with an increased likelihood of cholelithiasis, which can have significant implications for the parturient.

Deranged liver function tests in pregnancy: the importance of postnatal follow-up

We report an asymptomatic 40-year-old woman with persistently deranged liver function tests found incidentally in the first trimester of her second pregnancy. No cause was apparent clinically, serologically or with imaging studies until a new finding of hepatomegaly led to a repeat ultrasound scan six weeks following delivery. A mass in the region of the common hepatic duct was confirmed to be a cholangiocarcinoma, with vascular invasion precluding curative surgical resection. This case highlights the need for close vigilance of patients with unexplained and persistently abnormal liver function tests, antenatally and postdelivery.

Cholangiocarcinoma in pregnancy: a case report

A 32-year-old pregnant woman underwent laparotomy for suspected intra-abdominal mass lesion obstructing the biliary tree. Imaging studies revealed a mass in the fourth segment of the liver. Microscopic examination of the biopsy revealed a cholangiocarcinoma. The clinical course of the malignancy was worsened by her gravid state.