METHODS: A 33-year-old female with a 10-year history of oral contraceptive use was diagnosed with a hepatic tumor as an incidental finding in an abdominal ultrasound. The patient showed no symptoms and physical examination was unremarkable. Laboratory functional tests were within normal limits and tests for serum tumor markers were negative. An abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed, showing a 30 mm × 29 mm focal lesion in segment VI of the liver compatible with HCA or Focal Nodular Hyperplasia with atypical behavior. After a total of six years of follow-up, the patient underwent ovulation induction treatment for infertility. On a following MRI, a suspected malignancy was warned and hence, surgery was decided. The surgical specimen revealed malignant transformation of HCA towards trabecular hepatocarcinoma with dedifferentiated areas. There was non-evidence of tumor recurrence after three years of clinical and imaging follow-up.
CONCLUSIONS: HCAs can be malignant regardless its size and low-risk appearance on MRI when an ovultation induction therapy is indicated.