Hepatoid carcinoma

Colon tumor
Carcinoma
Hepatoid carcinoma

Author: Raul Gonzalez M.D. (see Authors page)

Revised: 2 January 2017, last major update April 2015

Copyright: (c) 2002-2017, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.

PubMed Search: "Hepatoid carcinoma" colon

Table of Contents

Cite this page: Hepatoid carcinoma. PathologyOutlines.com website. http://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/colontumorhepatoid.html. Accessed July 14th, 2017.

Definition / general

Rare, aggressive subtype of adenocarcinoma that morphologically resembles hepatocellular carcinoma and produces alpha fetoprotein

Terminology

Originally termed "alpha fetoprotein producing tumor"

Epidemiology

More common in men
Fewer than 20 colonic cases reported

Sites

Hepatoid carcinoma has also been reported in other sites, including stomach, gallbladder, and uterus (World J Gastroenterol 2013;19:321); also ampulla, bladder, lung, ovary

Clinical features

Can occur in patients with ulcerative colitis (World J Gastroenterol 2014;20:12657)
Serum alpha fetoprotein may be elevated (Hepatobiliary Pancreat Dis Int 2008;7:539)

Case reports

42 year old man with rectal hepatoid carcinoma with liver metastases (Hepatobiliary Pancreat Dis Int 2008;7:539)
59 year old man with colonic α fetoprotein producing carcinoma (Dis Colon Rectum 2003;46:826)
71 year old man with hepatoid carcinoma colliding with liposarcoma (World J Surg Oncol 2007;5:42)
Rectal tumor arising in ulcerative colitis (Dis Colon Rectum 2000;43:105)
Sigmoid alpha fetoprotein producing adenocarcinoma (Pathology 1995;27:277)

Treatment

Surgery, possibly chemotherapy (Pathol Oncol Res 2012;18:93)

Microscopic (histologic) description

Resembles hepatocellular carcinoma, with trabecular or solid pattern of large polygonal cells with abundant eosinophilic or clear cytoplasm
Component of traditional adenocarcinoma also often present
Lymphovascular invasion is common (Histopathology 1997 Jul;31:47)

Microscopic (histologic) images

Images hosted on other servers:

Collision with liposarcoma

Associated with ulcerative colitis

Gastric tumor: H&E, AFP+ Hep Par 1- glypican3+

Positive stains

Alpha fetoprotein, CEA, glypican 3
Variable Hep Par1, CDX2, CK18, CK19 (Histopathology 2007;51:123)

Differential diagnosis

Metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma: unusual in colon; negative for CDX2 and (usually) CK19 (J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2000;15:536)