Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma: Pitfalls in the diagnosis on fine needle cytology and "small biopsy" and review of the literature

Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is a rare vascular neoplasm with an unpredictable malignant potential. Different therapeutic options are available, depending on the basis of disease extension and the patient's overall condition. A correct pathological diagnosis is necessary and is often based on scant material. Here, we report a case diagnosed on fine needle aspiration and on a small surgical biopsy. In addition, we will review the literature. The patient is a 54-year-old woman who presented with persistent pain in the right hypochondrium and suffered from weight loss. Ultrasound examination and CT scan showed several focal and confluent hepatic lesions. Thus, an ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (US-FNA) was performed. A cytological diagnosis of vascular proliferation with epithelioid component was performed. Afterwards, a hepatic "small biopsy" (SB) was made. Histological and immunohistochemical data were consistent with a hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma diagnosis. The patient, however, is in good general condition and is waiting for a hepatic transplantation; repeated total CT scan showed no signs of metastasis. The literature was reviewed in order to define the pathological features that were helpful in the cytological and histological diagnosis of hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, and to better understand if pathological data is prognostically useful.