title: Spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma: its imaging course leading to complete disappearance.
abstract: Spontaneous regression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare phenomenon. We followed a detailed clinical course of a spontaneous and complete disappearance of HCC during a short interval. A 73-year-old man with hepatitis B virus infection presented with a 15-mm mass in the right anterior superior segment of the liver. The mass was diagnosed as HCC by imaging findings. We found an elevated serum α-fetoprotein (AFP) level of 748 ng/ml. The tumor regressed to 6 mm on imaging examination, and the AFP serum level decreased to 87.8 ng/ml 1 month after the diagnostic hepatic angiography. Therefore, the patient was followed up without any treatment for HCC. The tumor disappeared 5 months later when the AFP serum level was 5.0 ng/ml. The diagnostic hepatic angiography might have had some effect on the spontaneous regression of HCC in the present case.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Tenri Hospital, Tenri, Japan.
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Okano
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Tenri Hospital, Tenri, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohana
keywords: Complete disappearance; Hepatic angiography; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Imaging course; Ischemia; Spontaneous regression
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