CASE OF SMALL HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA IN THE CAUDATE LOBE DETECTED AFTER INTERFERON CAUSED DISAPPEARANCE OF HEPATITIS-C VIRUS

The high prevalence of antibodies to hepatitis C virus (HCV) in patien ts with heapatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with hepatocellula r carcinoma (HCC) in Japan suggests that the virus has a close relatio nship to hepatocarcinogenesis (1-4). HCV causes chronic inflammation o f the human liver and HCC may finally develop, by way of an unknown me chanism. Interferon (IFN), which has an antiviral effect, is widely us ed for treatment of chronic hepatitis C infection (5). In Japan, about 40% of such patients have been cured of the infection by IFN therapy (6). The most suitable criteria of identification of a complete respon se to IFN are the most rigorous: both the disappearance of HCV RNA, ve rified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and alanine aminotransf erase activity in the normal range for at least six months after the e nd of the therapy. In the cured patients, the liver disorder and hepat ocarcinogenesis are thought to stop progressing. However, few such pat ients have been monitored for years following the treatment (7-8). In this article, we describe a patients with small HCV in th caudate lobe after complete response to IFN in the caudate lobe after complete res ponse to IFN therapy for chronic hepatitis. We suggest the necessity f or regular liver checks for patients from whom HCV is eliminated by IF N therapy.