Case Report. Diagnostic Challenges: Liver Metastases from Mammary Gland Origin or Cholangiocarcinoma?

Liver metastases are secondary malignant tumor formations due to the dissemination of primary malignant tumors, which are often the first clinical manifestation of mammary cancer. We present the case of a 52-year-old female patient from an urban area who came to the walk-in service at the Sf. Ap. Andrei Emergency County Hospital, Galati, for laboratory investigations. These revealed a significant increase in CA 15-3 tumor markers and a slight increase in CA 125 and CA 19-9 markers; however, clinical examination did not reveal tumors in the breast and there were no axillary adenopathies. CT exam revealed a large tumor formation in the hepatic right lobe and, close to it, a smaller one. The mammograph showed millimetric lesions at the level of the left mammary gland and bilateral axillary adenopathies. Subsequently, the patient underwent two liver biopsies in two different hospitals, which produced different histological and immunohistochemical results. PET-CT drew attention to a lung tumor and disclosed a different origin of metastases. In the end, correlating all investigations, the final diagnosis was cholangiocarcinoma with liver metastases and lung tumor with lung and bone metastases.

Automated summary

Liver metastases are a common clinical manifestation of mammary cancer. This case report presents the diagnosis and treatment of a 52-year-old female patient with liver and lung metastases. Laboratory investigations and imaging exams played a crucial role in revealing the extent and origin of the metastases, leading to the final diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma with liver metastases and lung tumor with lung and bone metastases.