Complete chemotherapeutic regression of hepatic metastases with resultant hepar lobatum.

Abstract

An instance of hepar lobatum of unusual etiology is described. Because metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma in our patient involved multiple organs including the liver, chemotherapy was administered. There was total regression of the liver metastases at autopsy with cicatrization of the previous sites of neoplastic involvement. The scarring subdivided the liver into irregular areas resulting in the characteristic gross appearance of hepar lobatum. Evidence of syphilis or Hodgkin's disease was not found. Radioisotopic liver scans taken before and after the administration of chemotherapy are included to correlate the clinical findings with the pathological observations.