During the examination of a 46-year-old woman for a second episode of right spontaneous pneumothorax, two right supradiaphragmatic nodules were observed on chest X-ray (Fig. 1A). Thoracoscopy was performed for resection of the apical emphysema, during which the non-friable nodules located in the central tendon of the right hemidiaphragm were biopsied. They were of whitish appearance, well-defined, covered with parietal pleura, and measured less than 2cm. Pathology findings reported liver tissue with mild steatosis, immersed in a fibroconnective tissue coated with mesothelial cellularity (diaphragmatic parietal pleura) (Fig. 1B).
Ectopic liver tissue occurs at an incidence of less than 0.5% and is detected as a chance finding from small pleural or subpleural nodules on a chest X-ray performed for another reason. Histopathologic confirmation is required for a definitive diagnosis.
Ectopic liver tissue behaves like normal liver tissue and, as such, may be affected by liver viruses, fatty degeneration, cirrhosis, hemosiderosis, or metastatic implants1; however, the absence of a complete vascular and ductal system, makes them more prone to developing hepatocellular carcinoma.2
Please cite this article as: Rodríguez Gómez CM, Padró XB, Garay MR. Tejido hepático ectópico intratorácico. Arch Bronconeumol. 2018;54:429.
