A Study of Juvenile Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Satoshi Kondo, Toru Segawa, Katsuro Ichinose, Toshifumi Etoh, Kazuhide Ura, Teiji Matsumoto, Kouichi Motojima, Kunihide Izawa, Tsukasa Tsunoda, Ryoichi Tsuchiya*

Second Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University School of Medicine
*Shimane University Medical School

Clinicopathological analyses were performed on 13 cases of juvenile (less than 40 years old) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which were 5.3% of all HCC patients treated in our clinic. Only 3 patients lacked positive HBsAg and a past history and family history of liver disease. Cirrhosis was present in 53.8% of the juvenile HCC patients, which was significantly lower than in nonjuvenile HCC patients. HBsAg was present in 66.7% of juvenile HCC patients, significantly higher than in those with nonjuvenile HCC patients. Three-fourths of the juvenile HCC patients had serum alphafetoprotein levels of more than 400 ng/ml, which was a significantly higher incidence than in nonjuvenile HCC patients. There was no difference in histopathological findings between juvenile and nonjuvenile HCC patients. Flow cytometry showed that 80% of the juvenile HCC patients were aneuploid in nuclear DNA content. Though juvenile HCC patients tended to be more advanced than nonjuvenile HCC patients, there was no statistical difference in outcome between the two groups. The outcome for patients with nonresected juvenile HCC patients was very poor, but some patients with resection achieved long survival. It is necessary for HB carriers to be followed up carefully for early diagnosis and treatment.

Key words
juvenile hepatocellular carcinoma, hepatitis B virus, liver cirrhosis, alpha-fetoprotein, DNA proidy pattern

Reprint requests
Satoshi Kondo Second Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University School of Medicine
7-1 Sakamotomach, Nagasaki, 852 JAPAN

Accepted
January 16, 1991

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