Inflammatory pseudotumor of the liver diagnosed by needle biopsy: report of three cases (one with neuroendocrine tumor of the rectum and lung).

Inflammatory pseudotumor of the liver is a rare disorder that can histologically and radiologically resemble malignant neoplasms. The prognosis of the patients with hepatic inflammatory pseudotumor is usually good with conservative therapy. Most of the reported cases are diagnosed in the surgical resection specimens; only very few reported cases have been diagnosed by needle biopsy. We report three additional cases of inflammatory pseudotumor of the liver diagnosed by liver biopsy. Two of these cases were treated successfully with antibiotics. The other case, who was resistant to medical treatment, had coexisting neuroendocrine neoplasms of the rectum and the lung. Since her general condition did not allow an extensive surgery, the mass of the liver could not be resected and she died approximately five months after she was voluntarily discharged from the hospital. Many of the inflammatory pseudotumor of the liver are found to be associated with variable neoplasms, but to our knowledge, the latter case is the first case of inflammatory pseudotumor associated with a neuroendocrine tumor.