Pseudocirrhosis

摘要

Pseudocirrhosis refers to morphologic changes in the liver which closely resemble cirrhosis, but without typical histopathological markers of true cirrhosis. Pseudocirrhosis is most commonly seen in the setting of breast cancer with liver metastases after treatment with chemotherapy. The exact etiology of this phenomenon is not yet fully understood, but it may relate to shrinkage of metastatic nodules with subsequent severe adjacent desmoplastic fibrosis or from hyperplasia of regenerative nodules [1]. Radiologically, the most common manifestation of pseudocirrhosis is the development of diffuse hepatic nodularity, capsular retraction, and enlargement of the caudate lobe after initiation of chemotherapy for breast cancer (Figs. 1, 2). The "pseudo-" prefix can be misleading, as some patients can develop features of portal hypertension including portosystemic collaterals, splenomegaly, and ascites [2]. In a series of 91 breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy, Quyyum et al. found hepatic contour abnormalities in 75% of cases with 9% of cases developing portal hypertension [3].