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CASE REPORT
Multifocal granular cell tumour of the biliary tree
  1. Felip Vilardell1,
  2. Marina Pardina2,
  3. Jorge Juan Olsina3 and
  4. Xavier Matias-Guiu4
  1. 1 Department of Surgical Pathology, Hospital Universitari Arnau de Vilanova and Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida, Lleida, Spain
  2. 2 Department of Radiology, Hospital Universitari Arnau de Vilanova, Lleida, Spain
  3. 3 Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Hospital Universitari Arnau de Vilanova, Lleida, Spain
  4. 4 Department of Molecular Pathology, Hospital Universitari Arnau de Vilanova, Lleida, Spain
  1. Correspondence to Dr Felip Vilardell, fvilardell.lleida.ics{at}gencat.cat

Abstract

Fewer than 90 cases of granular cell tumour (GCT) of the biliary tract have been reported, including only five cases of multiple GCTs. We present the unusual case of a 40-year-old woman with multifocal GCTs affecting the intrahepatic biliary tree, which were initially suspected to be hepatic multiple metastases from a malignancy of unknown origin. The surgical specimen consisted of a hepatic segment in which five whitish nodular lesions were observed. On microscopic examination, nodular lesions were found in the portal tracts; these were composed of large polygonal cells with abundant highly granular cytoplasm. The nuclei were small and centrally located. The tumour cells tested diffusely positive for CD68-PGM1, S100 protein and α-inhibin, so a diagnosis of multifocal GCT of the biliary tree was made. Three years later, the patient is still alive and a MRI has shown no changes.

  • pathology
  • gastrointestinal surgery
  • radiology

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Footnotes

  • Contributors FV: case report design, writing the paper. MP: imaging advisor, writing imaging description. JJO and XM-G: case report design, redaction advisor.

  • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Patient consent Not required.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.