Fulminant hepatic failure secondary to metastatic prostate cancer

The most common sites of metastatic disease from prostate cancer include the bones, lymph nodes and less commonly the lungs, adrenal glands, brain and kidneys. Acute fulminant hepatic failure secondary to cancer metastasis is rare and has unique clinical presentation. We describe a case of fatal liver failure in a 71-year-old male due to metastases to the liver from a prostatic adenocarcinoma. Thus in patients with metastatic cancer and elevated liver function tests, the possibility of hepatic involvement by the cancer should be considered as a possible cause of hepatic failure. Copyright (C) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel.