Pathologically Confirmed Spontaneous Partial Regression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma / 대한내과학회지

ABSTRACT

Spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is extremely rare, and dozens of cases have been reported in the literature. In this report, we present a case of pathologically confirmed HCC that partially regressed without medical intervention. A 54-year-old Korean male with chronic hepatitis B had a hepatic mass detected by abdominal ultrasonography during a routine visit. A clinical diagnosis of HCC was made after measuring serum alpha-fetoprotein levels followed by dynamic computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The patient delayed surgical resection; however, after 5 months, the size of the HCC decreased from 3.2 to 1.0 cm in diameter without any treatment. At that time the mass was surgically resected. Histopathology confirmed that the hepatic mass was consistent with partially regressed HCC and showed more intra- and peri-tumoral lymphocytes consisting of greater CD4+ T cell infiltration than what is normally seen in resected HCC.