Tumor Thrombus of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Direct Extension From the Liver to the Right Atrium

TL;DR

This case report describes a rare instance of aggressive liver cancer spreading directly from the liver to the heart.

Contribution

The novelty lies in documenting a rare tumor thrombus extension from hepatocellular carcinoma to the right atrium.

Findings

HCC tumor thrombus extended directly from the liver to the right atrium.

The patient's condition highlights the aggressive nature of advanced HCC.

Early diagnosis and treatment are critical for improving survival in such cases.

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a very aggressive type of cancer and can either invade or spread distantly through the portal vein to the inferior vena cava (IVC) and the right atrium (RA). The presentation varies based on the stage of the cancer at the time of diagnosis. Liver transplantation or surgical resection is the ideal management of small lesions without metastases, while systemic therapy can help in extensive cases to decrease the tumor burden to allow surgical resection of the tumor. We present a rare case of HCC with a tumor thrombus (TT) extending to the RA. Unfortunately, the patient did not survive the cancer. We hope that this case report can contribute to saving the lives of future patients with HCC.

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