Spontaneous necrosis of hepatocellular carcinoma: a case report.
BACKGROUND
Spontaneous regression of a malignant tumor is a rare phenomenon. So far, 13 cases of spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been described in the English literature. We report a case of HCC, with spontaneous complete necrosis demonstrated by histological examination.


METHODS
A 73-year-old male was admitted to our hospital complaining of general fatigue. CT and US revealed a huge mass measuring 9.5 cm at the left lobe. Angiographies showed hypovascular tumor stains. The levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and PIVKA-2 on admission were high, at 55 ng/ml and 62,300 mAU/ml, respectively. We diagnosed hypovascular HCC and performed a left lobectomy on October 16, 2000.


RESULTS
In the histological examination, no viable cells were found. The levels of AFP and PIVKA-2 had already decreased to 14 ng/ml and 1,420 mAU/ml, before laparotomy.


CONCLUSIONS
Changes in tumor markers and histological findings reveal that this phenomenon occurred without specific treatment.
Morimoto
Yoshikazu
Y
Department of Surgery, Osaka Prefecture General Hospital, Osaka, Japan. yoshi-mo@vega.ocn.ne.jp
Tanaka
Yasuhiro
Y
Itoh
Toshinori
T
Yamamoto
Shigetaka
S
Mizuno
Hitoshi
H
Fushimi
Hiroaki
H
D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D009336:Necrosis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins