title: Hepatocellular carcinoma in children with hepatitis B surface antigen.
abstract: This study discusses four children of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who were asymptomatic HBsAg carriers or had HBsAg-positive chronic hepatitis for 3 to 11 years before the occurrence of the carcinoma. Three of these four patients were positive for anti-HBe at 3 to 5 years before the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Autopsy findings disclosed liver cirrhosis in all the four patients. To the best of our knowledge few reports have documented children in HBsAg carrier status or with HBsAg-positive hepatitis prior to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. It is emphasized that HBsAg-positive children, with or without detectable hepatic lesions in routine examinations, have a possibility of developing HCC, and should be carefully monitored for long periods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Akita University School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tazawa
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nishinomiya
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Noguchi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsuchiya
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Abukawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watabe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imaizumi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ohi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens