Case report
Management strategy after diagnosis of Abernethy malformation: a case report
1 Department of Hepatobiliary and Transplantation Surgery, Erasmus Medical Center, University Medical Center Rotterdam, P.O. Box 2040, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
2 Department of Pulmonary Medicine, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, P.O. Box 7057, Amsterdam, MB, 1007, The Netherlands
Journal of Medical Case Reports 2012, 6:167 doi:10.1186/1752-1947-6-167
Published: 28 June 2012Abstract
Introduction
The Abernethy malformation is a rare anomaly with a widely variable clinical presentation. Many diagnostic dilemmas have been reported. Nowadays, with the evolution of medical imaging, diagnosis can be made more easily, but management of patients with an Abernethy malformation is still open for discussion.
Case presentation
In this case study, we describe a 34-year-old Caucasian man who presented with a large hepatocellular carcinoma in the presence of an Abernethy malformation, which was complicated by the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension.
Conclusion
This case underlines the importance of regular examination of patients with an Abernethy malformation, even in older patients, to prevent complications and to detect liver lesions at an early stage.
