Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Mesenchymal hamartoma of the liver in a late-term equine fetus.
- Journal:
- Veterinary pathology
- Year:
- 2007
- Authors:
- Brown, D L et al.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
In a late-term horse fetus, a rare liver condition called mesenchymal hamartoma was discovered during a post-mortem examination. The liver was found to be more than twice its normal size, and a closer look under a microscope showed that the usual liver tissue was replaced by abnormal bile ducts and a lot of unusual connective tissue. Some parts of the liver also showed signs of scarring and small, abnormal bile ducts, which can be similar to another liver issue known as congenital hepatic fibrosis. Unfortunately, this condition is serious and indicates significant developmental problems in the liver.
Abstract
Mesenchymal hamartoma of the liver is a rare congenital disorder of biliary tract development. During the necropsy of a late-term equine fetus, a markedly enlarged liver of more than two times normal weight was found. Light microscopic review revealed that the normal hepatic parenchyma had been obliterated, replaced, and expanded by abnormal bile ducts surrounded by abundant, myxoid stroma. The lesion was diagnosed as a mesenchymal hamartoma. Small portions of the liver had bridging septa of fibrosis and proliferations of small-caliber abnormal bile ducts, resembling another congenital biliary abnormality termed congenital hepatic fibrosis.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17197632/