Case 36-2000

Presentation of Case A 22-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of a hepatic mass. The patient had been well until three weeks earlier, when he injured the right side of his chest and shoulder, with subsequent pain that was ascribed to a rib contusion. The pain disappeared after nine days, at which point he consulted a physician for clearance to return to work. Examination showed numerous spider angiomas, which were of unknown duration. For several years, the patient had had difficulty gaining weight, with intermittent night sweats. They had become much more severe during the three nights before . . .