Abscess of the ligamentum teres hepatis and Arantius’ ligament: a case report

Simultaneous abscesses of the ligamentum teres hepatis and Arantius' ligament are an extremely rare entity. The ligamentum teres hepatis (LTH) and the Arantius ligament are formed by the regression of the umbilical vein and venous ducts during embryonic period and are normally atretic in adulthood, which may recanalize in the case of portal hypertension. Even if the ligament is recanalized, in most cases only blood flows through it. It is very rare for abscesses to occur in these ligaments. Here we present a case with simultaneous LTH abscess and Arantius ligament abscess, a condition that has never been reported before. A 72-year-old female patient complained of epigastric discomfort and was diagnosed with an intra-abdominal tubular mass, which was confirmed to be the thickened LTH and Arantius ligament during operation. Postoperative specimens showed pus in the ducts and histopathological examination confirmed that the mass was the inflamed ligament. The patient's symptoms disappeared after the operation and there was no recurrence after 19 months of follow-up. Postoperative case data and related literature were reviewed. We here described in detail the characteristics and possible etiology of the disease.