title: [Clinical features of surgically resected focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) is a benign hepatic tumor with few serious complications and no malignant transformation. However, differential diagnosis between FNH and other liver tumors, especially hepatocellular carcinoma, is often difficult.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical features of surgically resected FNH were reviewed. From January, 1995 to February, 2003, 10 patients with surgically resected FNH were enrolled. Their age, sex, results of laboratory examination, imaging studies and pathologic findings were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median age was 37.5 years and sex ratio (male:female) was 1.5:1. In 5 cases, resection to exclude hepatic adenoma or HCC was performed. Four cases were diagnosed incidentally after surgery. Four patients had risk factors for HCC, such as hepatitis B virus infection, liver cirrhosis or both. The size of FNH was 3.2 +/- 2.2 cm. The most common site of the tumor was segment 6 (30.0%). Differential diagnosis with HCC was difficult in 5 of six cases in whom CT was performed. Although needle biopsies were performed preoperatively in 4 cases, it was difficult to distinguish FNH from hepatic adenoma or HCC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FNH was resected due to uncertainty of diagnosis, or incidentally during hepatectomy in patients with other liver disease. In the former, differential diagnosis with hepatic adenoma or HCC was a major problem despite extensive work-up including dynamic CT or biopsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Nam Cheol
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Moon Seok
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Joon Hyoek
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kwang Cheol
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Seung Woon
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Paik
authors.forename: Byung Chul
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Jong Chul
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Rhee
authors.forename: Kwang-Woong
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jae-Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Joh
authors.forename: Cheol Keun
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D020518:Focal Nodular Hyperplasia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged