Gross Anatomical Typing of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Classification of 49 lobectomized hepatocellular carcinomas

ABSTRACT

Forty-nine lobectomized hepatocellular carcinomas(HCC) were classified according to the gross anatomical features. Because the presence of cirrhosis in the remaining liver has a good clinico-pathological implication, cases of HCC were divided into non-cirrhotic(non-LC) and cirrhotic(LC) groups. In both groups, the tumors themselves belonged to either expanding, focal spreading, spreading or mixed type. Another special type, which has been called a "diffuse type" is added in the LC group with the name of "cirrhotomimetic type" Among 49 cases, 21 belonged to the non-LC group and 28 to the LC group. Most common was expanding type(20 cases, 40.8%), which was followed by spreading(32.7%), focal spreading(16.3%), mixed(6.1%) and cirrhotomimetic(4.1%) types. Expanding type of the LC group was the single most common type(13 cases, 26.5%). The accordance rate of gross typing was 0.94. Tumor masses of the LC group showed a greater tendency of having a fibrous capsule(60.7%) and a lobulated cut surface(82.1%), in contrast to those of the non-LC group (28.6% and 42.9% respectively). The patient's age and the HBsAg seropositivity were not different between the groups and between the types. Increased serum level of AFP was particularly frequent in the spreading type(81.3%) of both groups and in the cirrhotomimetic type(100%).