title: Reactive lymphoid hyperplasia of the liver requires differential diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: Reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (RLH) of the liver is a rare and benign nodular lesion. It remains difficult to distinguish RLH from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) despite recent advances in imaging modalities. We report five cases of RLH that required differential diagnosis of HCC preoperatively. These cases all occurred in middle-aged women and were associated with autoimmune disease in 40% (2/5). The diameter of the nodule was less than 2 cm in all five of our cases. Four cases had a preoperative diagnosis of HCC. When a liver nodule is found in middle-aged women with an autoimmune disease, the possibility of RLH should be considered.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjo, Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan. higashi618618@yahoo.co.jp.
authors.forename: Takaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Higashi
authors.affiliation: Departments of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjo, Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan. daisukeh@kumamoto-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.affiliation: Departments of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjo, Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan. hayashi1@kumamoto-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hiromitsu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.affiliation: Departments of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjo, Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan. hnitta5085@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hidetoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nitta
authors.affiliation: Departments of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjo, Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan. chika@kumamoto-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chikamoto
authors.affiliation: Departments of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjo, Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan. tbeppu@kumamoto-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Beppu
authors.affiliation: Departments of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjo, Kumamoto-shi, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan. hdobaba@kumamoto-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Baba
keywords: Middle-aged women; Primary biliary cirrhosis; Reactive lymphoid hyperplasia