Ultrastructure of hepatocellular carcinoma in a cirrhotic liver.
Hepatoma cells, though sharing many similarities with non-neoplastic hepatocytes, showed conspicuous alterations--increased nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio, intranuclear invapinations of cytoplasm, lipoid material, high mitotic activity, and the presence of abundant small fat droplets and glycogen in the cytoplasm. "Capillarization" of sinusoids was a constant feature with the appearance of junctions between endothelial cells, deposition of fibrillary material in Disse's spaces, flattening of hepatocyte microvilli and deposition of basement-membrane-like material. Abundant microtubules and the presence of annulate lamellae were other features noted in the tumor cells.
D000328:Adult; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008870:Microtubules / Q000648:ultrastructure