title: Combined hepatocellular carcinoma and osteoclast-like giant cell tumor of the liver: possible clue to histogenesis.
abstract: Hepatic giant cell tumor is extremely rare, and only five cases have been reported of overt hepatocellular carcinoma, thus its histogenesis is controversial. Herein is reported a case of simultaneous hepatocellular carcinoma and osteoclast-like giant cell tumor in a single tumor. A liver tumor was found in a 74-year-old woman. Histologically the tumor consisted of two distinct components: mononuclear and multinuclear giant cells with osteoclastic giant cells, and a conventional hepatocellular carcinoma. The boundary between the two components showed transitional features. Immunohistochemistry showed that the osteoclast-like giant cells were CD68 and vimentin positive, but cytokeratin and AFP negative, while spindle-shaped cells were positive only for vimentin. In a portion of the hepatocellular carcinoma the cells were cytokeratin-8 and AFP positive. Ki-67 positivity was 10% for the hepatocellular carcinoma, 60% for the spindle-shaped cells, and 0% for the giant cells. It is possible that the tumor might have had a hepatocellular carcinoma origin, given the more highly proliferative sarcomatous changes and reactive osteoclast-like cells. This case provides a clue to the histogenesis of hepatic giant cell tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Seikyou General Hospital, Aichi, Japan. chisatotana@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Chisato
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tanahashi
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagae
authors.forename: Takuhisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nukaya
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yatabe
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005870:Giant Cell Tumors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D009378:Neoplasms, Multiple Primary / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*