The successful treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma arising from congenital hepatic fibrosis using radiofrequency ablation under laparoscopy

Congenital hepatic fibrosis (CHF), a fibropolycystic disease, is characterized by bile duct malformation, periportal fibrosis, and renal polycystic disease. Although cholangiocellular carcinoma is the primary tumor arising from fibropolycystic diseases, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is extremely rare. In addition, no algorism for determining the optimum HCC treatment has yet been available in cases of fibropolycystic disease due to variations in the background liver and renal conditions. We herein report a patient with HCC arising from CHF that was successfully treated using radiofrequency ablation (RFA) under laparoscopic assistance. A 37-year-old man with CHF was admitted to our hospital for treatment of HCC in 2014. Imaging revealed HCC located in hepatic segments II and VIII with diameters of 28 and 24 mm, respectively. There had been no histories of recurrent cholangitis or renal failure after when CHF was diagnosed in 2003. In addition, esophageal varices were well controlled. We achieved sufficient ablation using a bipolar ablation system without any complications. The post-operative course was uneventful, and the patient was free from HCC for 4 years. Thus, locoregional therapy, including RFA, is acceptable for the treatment of HCC arising from CHF when the background liver and kidney are preserved.