Hepatocellular carcinoma presenting with obstructive jaundice: a clinicopathological study of eight cases.
OBJECTIVE
The prognosis of icteric type hepatocellular carcinoma is extremely poor, not only because of obstructive jaundice, but also because of difficulties for early diagnosis. The aim of this study is to evaluate characteristics of icteric hepatocellular carcinoma for early diagnosis.


METHODS
Eight patients with icteric hepatocellular carcinoma among 326 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in our hospitals were retrospectively examined by laboratory data, image studies and pathology studies.


RESULTS
Most cases were already advanced, with a portal tumor thrombus at the time of diagnosis. Imaging studies fail to reveal tumors because this type of hepatocellular carcinoma has an irregular faint margin and has lost the characteristic pattern of hepatocellular carcinoma, such as capsular formation or early enhancement. Pathology observations demonstrated poorly or moderately differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma in all our cases.


CONCLUSIONS
This type of hepatocellular carcinoma should be considered in cirrhotic patients with obstructive jaundice or in patients with high tumor marker levels even if image studies fail to reveal tumors. For better prognosis, combination therapies such as biliary drainage, support for portal flow as well as treatment for the hepatocellular carcinoma, are necessary.
Murata
Kazumoto
K
First Department of Internal Medicine, Mie University School of Medicine, 2-174 Edobashi, Tsu, Mie, 514-8507, Japan.
Shiraki
Katsuya
K
Kawakita
Tomoyuki
T
Yamamoto
Norihiko
N
Okano
Hiroshi
H
Sakai
Takahisa
T
Ohmori
Shigeru
S
Deguchi
Masatoshi
M
Shimizu
Atsuya
A
Nakano
Takeshi
T
D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D002423:Cause of Death; D002760:Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D041781:Jaundice, Obstructive / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000401:mortality; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor