BACKGROUND: This study was designed to explore the preoperative diagnosis and surgical modality of patients with hepatic tuberculous pseudotumor.
METHODS: Of 682 patients who had undergone liver resection from January 1988 to December 2004, 8 were confirmed pathologically as having hepatic tuberculous pseudotumor after operation. Their clinical features, laboratory findings, results of preoperative imaging and surgical modality of the 8 patients were analyzed.
RESULTS: In these patients, 5 were misinterpreted as having other types of liver tumor and 3 were confirmed as having liver tuberculous pseudotumor preoperatively. All the 8 patients underwent hepatic segmentectomy and local hepatic resection. Seven had no tumor recurrence after follow-up for 4 years.
CONCLUSIONS: Hepatic tuberculous pseudotumor was highly suspected for the patients with hepatic occupying-space lesions who had a history of tuberculosis. Fine needle aspiration liver biopsy guided by B-mode ultrasound and CT scan could confirm the diagnosis. They are of vital importance in the pathological diagnosis of the tumor. Therapeutic modalities included all kinds of hepatic segmentectomy and postoperative administration of antituberculous agents for the enhancement of the therapeutic effects.