Clin Mol Hepatol.  2019 Mar;25(1):12-20. 10.3350/cmh.2018.0067.

Pathologic differential diagnosis of metastatic carcinoma in the liver

• Park JH
• Kim JH

• KMID: 2447245
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3350/cmh.2018.0067

Abstract

The liver is one of the most common sites to which malignancies preferentially metastasize. Although a substantial number of liver malignancies are primary tumors, including hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, the metastasis of carcinomas to the liver is relatively common and frequently encountered in clinical settings. Representative carcinomas that frequently metastasize to the liver include colorectal carcinoma, breast carcinoma, neuroendocrine tumors, lung carcinoma, and gastric carcinoma. The diagnostic confirmation of suspected metastatic lesions in the liver is generally achieved through a histopathologic examination of biopsy tissues. Although morphology is the most important feature for a pathologic differential diagnosis of metastatic carcinomas, immunohistochemical studies facilitate the differentiation of metastatic carcinoma origins and subtypes. Useful immunohistochemical markers for the differential diagnosis of metastatic carcinomas in the liver include cytokeratins (CK7, CK19, and CK20), neuroendocrine markers (CD56, synaptophysin, and chromogranin A), and tissue-specific markers (CDX2, SATB2, TTF-1, GCDFP-15, mammaglobin, etc.). Here, we provide a brief review about the pathologic differential diagnosis of major metastatic carcinomas in the liver.

Keyword

Neoplasm metastasis; Liver neoplasms; Pathology; Immunohistochemistry

MeSH Terms

Biopsy
Breast Neoplasms
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular
Cholangiocarcinoma
Colorectal Neoplasms
Diagnosis, Differential*
Immunohistochemistry
Keratins
Liver Neoplasms
Liver*
Lung
Neoplasm Metastasis
Neuroendocrine Tumors
Pathology
Synaptophysin
Keratins
Synaptophysin