간절제술로 확인된 간세포암의 자연괴사 1예

Abstract

Spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma is extremely rare. Up to date, only 17 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma with spontaneous regression were reported in the English literature and there is 1 case of it in Korea. The mechanism of spontaneous regression has been a puzzle. Here, we describes a 70-year-old man with chronic hepatitis in whom spontaneous necrosis of hepatocellular carcinoma occurred and the possibility of spontaneous regression was suggested. He had right upper quadrant pain and computed tomography disclosed a 4 cm-sized hypodense mass at left lobe of the liver. Fine needle aspiration biopsy revealed almost total necrosis with a few scattered naked nuclei showing nuclear hyperchromasia and prominent nucleoli, which was highly suggestive of malignancy. When surgically resected, the specimen showed thick trabecular pattern of tumor with extensive necrotic change, which was a histological appearance of hepatocellular carcinoma. After surgery, the patient has recovered well. (Kor J Gastroenterol 2000;36:562 - 566)