Diffuse intrasinusoidal hepatic metastasis from breast cancer: Multimodality imaging with pathology correlation

Abstract

Metastatic disease to the liver is a known and common site of breast cancer spread, classically presenting as either hypovascular or hypervascular masses. Rarely, hepatic metastatic disease may have an atypical diffuse and intrasinusoidal pattern of involvement, which may be radiographically occult or extremely challenging to diagnose even with multiphase contrast enhanced techniques. We report a case of a 28-year-old female with stage III invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast, who recently discontinued treatment due to pregnancy, presenting with progressive signs and symptoms of rapidly decompensating liver failure due to sinusoidal obstruction. Multimodality imaging was performed without evidence for focal hepatic metastatic disease; however, intrahepatic vein (IVC) compression was noted. Hepatic sinusoidal tumor infiltration was confirmed by liver biopsy. After palliative chemotherapy the disease became less infiltrative and more conspicuous on imaging, revealing itself as hepatic metastases, with decreased compression of the intrahepatic IVC and resolution of signs and symptoms of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome.

Keywords

• Intrasinusoidal hepatic metastasis
• Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome
• Acute liver failure
• Breast cancer metastasis
• Infiltrative hepatic metastasis