A case of cholangiolocellular carcinoma asynchronously developing 3 years after the resection of hepatocellular carcinoma

Cholangiolocellular carcinoma (CLC) is a rare malignant primary liver tumor, categorized as a subtype of cholangiocellular carcinoma. CLC is considered to originate from hepatic progenitor cells, and sometimes accompanies a component of cholangiocellular carcinoma and/or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We report herein a case of a 53-year-old Japanese male with CLC occurring asynchronously after a resection of HCC. At the age of 50, the patient underwent a first hepatectomy due to HCC, followed by intrahepatic recurrence. At 53, a new type of hepatic tumor was detected. Dynamic computed tomography revealed a multinodular enhanced tumor in the hepatic arterial phase, and an iso-density tumor in the portal venous and delayed phases. Living donor liver transplantation was performed for the treatment of this liver tumor because of his poor liver function. Histological findings confirmed the diagnosis of CLC. Nineteen months after the liver transplantation, bone metastasis of CLC was detected. Although the preoperative diagnosis of CLC is difficult in general, CLC should be considered as a differential diagnosis when a tumor with atypical image findings for HCC is observed after the resection of HCC. Once the diagnosis of CLC is made, postoperative surveillance of the patient must be performed, including the bone.