Analysis of Diagnostic Imagings and Histologic Features of Multiple Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Nobuhisa Ando, Akio Harada, Motoshi Yasui, Toshiaki Nonami, Akimasa Nakao, Hiroshi Takagi

Department of Surgery II, Nagoya University School of Medicine

We divided surgically resected multiple hepatocellular carcinomas (Mul HCCs) that limited to 2 cm or less in diameter into two groups; sMO (multicentric occurrence; 19 nodules) and sIM (intrahepatic metastases; 28 nodules) by our pathological criteria. The sMO group was compared with the sIM group for features of images including ultrasonograms, post-contrast computed tomograms (pc-CT) and angiograms, and an association between the images and the pathologic findings was discussed retrospectively. A hyperechoic pattern was more frequent in the sMO group (13 cases, 68%) than in sIM group (6 cases, 2l%). Tumors without typical findings on pc-CT and angiograms were more frequent in the sMO group (pc-CT: 14 cases, 74%; angiograms: 13 cases, 68%) than in the sIM group (7 cases, 25%;10 cases, 36%). On the other hand, in the sMO group, well-differentiated HCCs accounted for 16 cases (84%) and a fatty change or clear-cell formation was detected in 15 cases (79%). From our criteria for the sMO group it follows that tumors show these pathologic findings, and the features of images were considered to be associated with the pathologic characteristics. We suggest that taking these results into account is useful in selecting the appropriate treatment for a patient with Mul HCCs.

Key words
multiple hepatocellular carcinoma, multicentric occurrence, intrahepatic metastase

Reprint requests
Nobuhisa Ando Department of Surgery II, Nagoya University School of Medicine
65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, 466 JAPAN

Accepted
March 6, 1996

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