An embryological perspective on congenital portacaval shunt: a rare anomaly in a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma.

We describe a 42-yr-old woman with hepatocellular carcinoma and a congenital portacaval shunt. A computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen showed a prominent left hepatic lobe extending into the lower abdomen. A large encapsulated, necrotic-appearing mass was seen within the right hepatic lobe. The patient underwent hepatic resection, during which the continuation of the confluence of the splenic and superior mesenteric veins was found to empty directly into the inferior vena cava, bypassing the hepatic parenchyma. An extended right hepatic lobectomy was performed with a complete excision of the mass (T3 N0 M0, stage III). The patient had an uneventful postoperative course. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of this anomaly in a living adult having undergone hepatectomy.