Case Report of Small Hepatocellular Carcinoma Complicated with an Isolated Portal Vein Tumor Thrombosis

HCC has a high propensity to invade into the portal vein by direct venous extension or metastasis, which may cause tumor thrombosis that occurs in up to 70% of patients. It is well recognized that Portal Vein Tumor Thrombosis (PVTT) is a major detrimental prognosticator in HCC and almost all staging or prognostic systems for HCC include PVTT as an important parameter. Herein, we reported an interesting HCC case, that is, a male patient with a 30-mm mass in the right lobe and an isolated “mural” portal vein thrombosis in the right portal branch. The patient received hepatectomy and removal of the portal vein thrombosis. The pathological diagnosis proved that both the liver mass and the portal vein thrombosis were HCC. According to our medical records, it's a rare case of small hepatocellular carcinoma with such severe PVTT. Conclusion: It is vital to pay more attention on PVTT in HCC patients for evaluating the postoperative outcome and optimizing treatment strategies.